Botswana responds to health threats
Botswana is making strides to match standards set by the international health regulations’ aticles. These regulations advice member states to establish, develop, strengthen and maintain capabilities to detect events of potential public health risks and emergencies. The Ministry of Health held its inaugural reference committee meeting for the Botswana Public Health Institute ( BPHI). The committee is set up to help the BPHI grow in its mandate and realign the Botswana’s health sector to be able to combat health issues that ravage the world. Minister of Health, Dr. Edwin Dikoloti explained that health systems should always be ready to respond to any health threat. He said that the BPHI will produce reliable data that will inform quality decision making and safeguard livelihoods in Botswana, Dikoloti said. Dikoloti stated that the formation of BPHI is in line with President Masisi’s pledge to save Batswana’s lives from Covid- 19, furthermore, the BPHI will help save lives beyond the Covid pandemic. “BPHI will further move our country to a knowledge based economy,” he said, further stating that the institution will serve to promote local knowledge and will help build a resilient health care system. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Chairperson of the BPHI reference committee, Grace Muzila explained that this is their first meeting as the reference committee of the BPHI. Muzila said that the BPHI oversees four pillars which are; public health research and development, public health laboratory, the public health surveillance and information management and the public health emergency management.
Muzila explained that the BPHI needs guidance at a strategic level because they need to ensure that Botswana meets the regional and international policy standards. She explained that the reference committee was established to provide guidance to the operational team of the BPHI. “If another pandemic hits us we will be more prepared,” Muzila said. She expressed confidence that as they set up the BPHI, the nation will be ready to counteract on any health threat in the future. Executive Director of the BPHI, Dr. Lebapotswe Tlale explained that the BPHI is a science based organ that is responsible for coordinating public health functions.
Tlale explains that they work on all issues of public health including in the agricultural sector and environmental health. Tlale noted that the BPHI will focus on improving the public health workforce, research, emergency preparedness and response and disease prevention. He explained that BPHI’s establishment will eliminate repetitive projects across different sectors especially in the research fraternity which will save the nation money and resources. Tlale said it is important that BPHI grows to the point that it has its own scientific laboratories where it can run its own studies. The BPHI will have its own budget, and it will ensure the nation adheres to international health laws. In an interview with the Botswana Guardian Grace Muzila explained that they have a budget of around eight million Pula for the BPHI. She further
noted that moving forward they will also depend on different organizations and well wishers to fund the BPHI she cited institutions such as the CDC.