07 Aug 2022

Botswana has received eight vehicles from WHO for use in the Strengthening and Utilising Response Group for Emergencies (SURGE) project.

Speaking at the combined handover and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony in Gaborone recently, Minister of Health, Dr Edwin Dikoloti said the donation was part of a long journey on SURGE.

“The vehicles will support the SURGE project and ensure implementation of the agreed milestones. 

The aim of the SURGE initiative is to ensure that governments are better equipped to mobilise and respond to future public health emergencies within the first 48 hours of confirmation,” he said.

Dr Dikoloti pointed out that Botswana’s experience from COVID-19 had provided an opportunity to learn, prepare, detect and better respond to future emergencies and pandemics.

“We have learnt that with preparation, we can overcome future health challenges,” he said.

He thanked WHO for its continued support for government’s efforts to ensure delivery of quality health services to Batswana.

The organisation, he said, had for a long time been part of Botswana’s health sector success story, offering the much needed technical support in order to help achieve universal health for all and for better health outcomes.

Hailing the partnership with WHO,  Dr Dikoloti said it had enabled Botswana to successfully manage various diseases including pandemics such as  HIV/AIDS and COVID-19.

“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO has been working tirelessly with the government of Botswana to come up with strategies for fighting the pandemic,” he said.

The minister said WHO had been instrumental in ensuring the availability of COVID-19 surveillance and testing instruments and mobilising technical assistance in the area of critical care to capacitate local health professionals.

“The experts assisted at the Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital as well as at different districts throughout the country,” he said.

Dr Dikoloti also expressed gratitude to WHO for seeing it fit to support Botswana particularly at the time when vaccines were not accessible to all.

“WHO has been part of the development of the country vaccine rollout programme strategy. It went a step further to donate vehicle public awareness systems in an effort to help towards creating COVID-19 vaccine demand from people and that assisted to convince many people to take up vaccines, which many were not initially keen to,” he said.

Dr Dikoloti was hopeful that WHO would assist Botswana to overcome the current challenges of booster dose resistance.

For her part, WHO country representative, Dr Josephine Namboze congratulated Botswana for achieving an important milestone in  strengthening and utilising its response for emergencies.

Dr Namboze explained that the MoU allowed the use of the eight vehicles for any outbreak. ends