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Health crises turn ugly head towards PMTCT programme

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 90 Views |
The baby formula shortage are exposing a harsh reality that the system is buckling
The baby formula shortage are exposing a harsh reality that the system is buckling

Botswana’s troubled healthcare sector has been dealt yet another blow, this time hitting at the very beginning of life. A leaked internal Ministry of Health memo has revealed a worrying shortage of infant formula under the country’s flagship Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme.

The shortage has sent shockwaves across the country that HIV-exposed babies could soon pay the price for a failing system. The memo states that infant formula supplies are running dangerously low, forcing the Ministry to tighten access.

Under the new restrictions, the programme will only provide formula to infants from birth to six months who are exclusively on formula, a move that has devastated the nation.

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Editor's Comment
No job offer is worth risking becoming traffickers’ prey

“Desperate people do desperate things”– Michael BrooksHowever, this desperate pursuit of employment comes with its own negative outcomes. Therefore, Batswana must guard against becoming easy targets for human traffickers, labour exploiters and other transnational criminal networks that prey on vulnerable job seekers.Numbers don’t lie. The recent revelation by the Botswana Police Service that 22 Batswana have been reported missing after...

Mmegi Editor | 07 August 2026
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