GNV News 2025/9/10

In 2025/5, Botswana was commended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for making major progress on the path to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In the early 21st century, Botswana had the world’s second-highest HIV prevalence, and roughly 1 in 8 infants were born with HIV; including transmission through breastfeeding, the mother-to-child transmission rate was around 20 to 40% in this situation. However, Botswana advanced measures to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and by 2023 the transmission rate had dropped to 1.2%, with the number of children born with HIV falling to under 100 per year.  

Botswana was able to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV to this extent because health-care reforms were carried out swiftly. Medical initiatives included improving access to obstetric services, publicly providing infant formula to prevent transmission through breastfeeding, and introducing antiretroviral drugs to suppress infection. The country has also worked to reduce stigma toward HIV and its treatment by engaging local communities. These efforts paid off, and by 2024 98% of pregnant women living with HIV were receiving treatment.

However, as of 2025/9, public health in Botswana is in a critical state. On 2025/8/25, the government of Botswana declared a public health emergency, citing shortages of medicines, among other issues. The reasons cited include a decrease in government revenue due to slumping diamond prices, on which the country depends economically, and a reduction in foreign aid as reasons. In particular, cuts in assistance from the United States—which had supported an amount equal to 3 tenths of funding for HIV measures—are dealing a major blow to the country’s health care. A variety of medicines are in short supply, and surgeries for non-urgent conditions reportedly have had to be halted.

Learn more about HIV/AIDS in Africa → “The evolution of HIV/AIDS responses in Africa”

Learn more about politics in Botswana → “Worrying about the future of Botswana’s democracy”

Blood testing conducted in Botswana (Photo: U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])