20 Sep 2015

Minister of Health, Ms Dorcas Makgato is in Dallas, Texas, United States of America for the Global Women’s Initiative Summit. 

A press release from the ministry says Minister Makgato will make a presentation at the summit to state Botswana’s position and also share the country’s experience based on the recent strides that Botswana is making in prevention of cervical cancer. 

The release also says the USA government is a strategic partner which has through Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon a public private partnership led by  George W. Bush Institute funded cervical cancer prevention programmes in Botswana. 

The minister will also visit United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.  The US has a very functional Centre for Disease Control that has a well- integrated public health institute and emergency centre.   

Further, the release says Botswana is establishing a National Public Service Institute; therefore it is an opportunity to benchmark on how best the country can strengthen public health and disease control. The minister will also visit the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, US Agency for International Development and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Meetings, it says, will enhance bilateral cooperation and commitment to realise the remarkable and achievable Vision 2016 and epidemic control by the end of 2017. Minister Makgato and the ministry’s permanent secretary, Ms Shenaaz El-Halabi left on Saturday  and are expected back home on the September 27. Ends