07 Feb 2016

Botswana has scooped the 2016 African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) Award for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target for malaria.

Briefing the media in Gaborone on Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said Botswana won a medal in the control and management of malaria.

She said Botswana did well in meeting at least 75 per cent of the goals set in keeping malaria under control. 

She stated that it was announced that malaria mortality rates in Africa had fallen by 66 per cent overall.

Countries that received the Excellency ALMA awards included Cape Verde, Eritrea, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe as well as South Africa, Namibia, and Swaziland.

As such, Dr Venson-Moitoi congratulated Minister of Health, Ms Dorcas Makgato and presented her the award.

Receiving the award, Ms Makgato informed Minister Venson-Moitoi that they intended eliminating malaria out of Botswana for good and that the ministry would continue working hard.

Meanwhile, Botswana received yet another award for responding to the call of assistance to Sierra Leone, Liberia during the Ebola epidemic.

Dr Venson-Moitoi said Botswana through the just, caring and compassionate nation pillar, extended financial assistance to the West African countries of Sierra Leone to support their efforts to fight Ebola virus.

She said the gesture was Botswana’s contribution to the international community continued efforts to respond to the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus that had threatened the entire globe.

 

Furthermore, she indicated that Botswana continued to show compassion to neighbouring countries and fellow Africans faced with ailments and other natural disasters under the Vision 2016 pillar even amidst of recession. Ends