06 Aug 2026

A delegation of health professionals from Lesotho has praised Botswana’s Primary Health Care system, taking key insights from the country’s decentralisation model to guide its own health sector restructuring. 

During a recent courtesy call on Kgatleng District Council management and an interactive session with Kgatleng District Health Management Team, the delegates noted that the exchange provided valuable knowledge on Botswana’s progress toward expanding health access through District Health Management Teams. 

The Lesotho delegation leader and Lesotho’s Ministry of Health human resource director, Ms Mapaballo Mohololi, described the meeting as an eye-opener. 

Ms Moholodi explained that the insights gained would support Lesotho’s efforts to decentralise health services and execute a restructuring plan to deploy key ministry personnel to rural areas.

 “We are here to engage our colleagues to share their experiences about the process, challenges, and what to expect so that our restructuring will be a success,” she said. 

She acknowledged that transition was a complex process that required close consultation with staff members about the upcoming changes.

Ms Mohololi also noted that district health teams currently led primary health services in Lesotho, but many key decisions and budgetary controls remained centralised at the Ministry of Health headquarters. She appreciated how Botswana had empowered its DHMTs to strengthen rural primary healthcare systems and improve overall health outcomes. Kgatleng District deputy council secretary responsible for primary health care, Dr Boipelo Lecoge, told the delegation that successful implementation relied on local collaboration.

  She highlighted the role of supportive community structures, including Dikgosi, Village Development Committees (VDCs), political leaders and broad government support. 

 She added that transferring primary healthcare from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs was a major milestone. 

However, she noted it was a challenging transition because core primary healthcare functions traditionally fell under the health ministry.

Under the new arrangement, she said clinics; community-based programmes and public health functions fell under the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, while primary hospitals remained under the Ministry of Health. 

 Throughout the visit, the delegation examined how district healthcare was delivered, focusing on human resource deployment, district planning and budgeting, community outreach, coordination and reporting systems.  

The initiative followed the inaugural session of the Bi-National Commission held in Gaborone in June, which provided a platform for bilateral learning and exchange. ENDS