11 Aug 2026

A donation of 1 500 first-line malaria treatments worth P75 000 is set to ease critical supply pressures across the Chobe District following the handover by Business Botswana’s Private Sector Disaster Response Fund (PSDRF) in Kasane on Monday. The intervention comes as the flood-prone district battles a surging malaria outbreak.

Speaking at the handover, Chobe District Council chairperson, Mr Johane Chenjekwa, said the heavy seasonal rainfall had created extensive stagnant water networks across the region, leading to a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Mr Chenjekwa said the district had recorded 113 malaria cases this year, including a fatality in Pandamatenga.

He added that drug shortages had previously forced local authorities to rely on preventative measures such as distributing mosquito nets and conducting Indoor Residual Spraying in Kasane and Kazungula while health workers closely monitored and immediately medicated every positive case to contain the spread.

For his part, PSDRF chairperson, Mr Butler Phirie explained that the donation was born out of an urgent need identified within the local healthcare system.

Mr Phirie advised local authorities to distribute the medicines directly to those in need across the district rather than stockpiling them.

He noted that the PSDRF was established in 2025 after private companies consolidated their resources to address severe nationwide medical shortages, having already dedicated over P1 million towards the national malaria response and provided test kits to Central Medical Stores (CMS).

Receiving the donation, Mr Chenjekwa commended the private sector for stepping in to support public health, emphasising that the donation did more than close a supply gap, but it enabled frontline healthcare personnel to deliver prompt and life-saving care to Batswana. He assured the fund that the drugs would be distributed efficiently throughout the district to maximise their impact. ENDS