Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana is grappling with a concerning rise in maternal mortality, with 2021 statistics revealing 240 deaths per 100 000 live births ‘a sharp and unacceptable increase,’ says Acting Minister of Health, Mr Lawrence Ookeditse.
Officially opening the second biennial congress of the Botswana Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (BOSOG) in Gaborone on Friday, Mr Ookeditse declared the situation a national emergency, citing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and obstetric haemorrhage as the leading causes behind the rise.
Mr Ookeditse said those two conditions were not only the primary contributors to maternal mortality but had now became among the top 10 causes of overall mortality in the country, according to national health data.
He stated that a recent report by the McKinsey Institute further underscored the gravity of the situation, placing hypertensive disorders and obstetric haemorrhage among the top nine causes of reduced lifespan for women in Botswana.
“This is a national emergency that requires urgent, collective action,” he said, adding that ‘we are currently developing a turnaround strategy to close the gaps in the management of pregnant and labouring women and we welcome the support of all stakeholders, including BOSOG’.
Mr Ookeditse stressed that healthier women were critical to building strong families, thriving communities and a resilient economy.
He further called for strategic and substantial investment of resources, supported by cross-sector collaboration to improve maternal health outcomes, adding that restructuring of the health system to deliver equitable and high-value quality was key to help accelerate progress, reduce disparities, and close persistent gaps in women’s healthcare.
“Addressing the root causes of the women’s healthcare gap, such as treatment efficacy, care delivery, reliable data, and sustainable funding, can extend the healthy lifespan of women and yield immense economic and social benefits,” he said.
However, Mr Ookeditse also acknowledged long-standing systemic challenges that continued to undermine the quality of maternal care in Botswana.
Among them, he mentioned difficulties in retaining medical specialists in the public sector, unequal distribution of healthcare personnel across district health management teams and recurring shortages of essential medical supplies.
He said those challenges were especially severe in rural areas, where limited infrastructure and basic amenities had led to chronic shortages of skilled personnel, worsening the healthcare divide between urban and rural populations.
Mr Ookeditse pointed out that despite financial constraints and the government’s inability to compete with private sector salaries, he noted that efforts had been made to improve staff retention, citing overtime allowances, scarce skills incentives, and contributions toward medical aid schemes; however, he admitted that those efforts remain insufficient.
“As a new administration, we are exploring all viable options to retain our skilled personnel and enhance public sector healthcare delivery to match private sector standards,” Mr Ookeditse added.
He therefore called on healthcare professionals, civil society, private partners, and international agencies to join hands in a united front against maternal mortality, saying ‘the urgency is clear, without a coordinated and sustained response, the lives and futures of thousands of women and families across Botswana remain at risk,’ he warned.
The two-day BOSOG gathering was an opportunity to explore new advancements, share best practices, and strengthen collective efforts in bridging the gap in Women’s Health disparities in access to quality health care in Botswana.
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