the monitor

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

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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