Africa-Press – Botswana. Government is set to embark on a five-year agreement with the Botswana Harvard Health Partnership (BHP) and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), establishing a promising framework for continued collaboration and success.
President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi emphasised that the BHP, which celebrates 28 years of impactful research and significant contributions to the nation’s health landscape, remained a source of pride for Botswana.
He also said the partnership’s ongoing research funding was pivotal to achieving the country’s goal of becoming a knowledge-based economy by 2036.
Dr Masisi was speaking at the BHP fundraising gala dinner on Friday in Tlokweng, where he stressed government committment to its collaboration with BHP.
“I salute your commitment. On behalf of my country, women and men, children and the elderly, thank you and all your development partners for their contribution and support to the continued prosperity and aspirations of Botswana,” said President Masisi.
He said the Presidency appreciated and supported BHP noting that without the the latter’s collaborative efforts, the nation could have faced dire circumstances. He pointed out that the partnership had been instrumental in addressing the challenges posed by HIV and AIDS, training scientists, and enhancing research capacities that have fundamentally transformed healthcare practices in Botswana and globally.
Additionally, President Masisi said the BHP was the first organisation to set large scale HIV viral loads and CD4 testing laboratory in Botswana as well as establishing the first HIV clinical trials.
“It also led the initiation of HIV clinical trials and provided training to over 10 000 healthcare providers, significantly improving the decentralised treatment and care for HIV in the country during its crisis,” President Masisi said.
Globally recognised for its groundbreaking contributions, BHP had played a vital role in preventing HIV transmission during pregnancy and breastfeeding, earning Botswana recognition by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the first Sub-Saharan country to eliminate Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV.
President Masisi said government was committed to support BHP endeavours by increasing research funding, which would enable local institutions like BIUST, BITRI, and UB to collaborate more effectively and achieve superior outcomes.
He said as the country premier public health research institution, BHP had diversified into research portfolio beyond HIV and AIDS and now included Tuberculosis, Sexual Reproductive Health and Sexually Transmitted Infections and other emerging public health issues such as COVID-19 and Non-Communicable Diseases.
“Diversification in health research triggered the name change in 2022, from Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute to the Botswana Harvard Health Partnership,” President Masisi said.
Among its notable achievements, BHP scientists, including Professor Sikhulile Moyo, were recognised for discovering the Omicron variant of COVID-19, gaining substantial global attention. President Masisi commended the institution for its focus on training and capacity building, noting that this strategy positions BHP to tackle complex health challenges effectively.
He highlighted the government’s goal to compete not only within Africa but also on a global scale, driven by the output and efficiency of its researchers.
The BHP has brought substantial financial resources and job opportunities to Botswana, attracting over P150 million annually in competitive grant funding dedicated to research and training initiatives.
He said BHP had nearly 300 full time employees most of whom had acquired unique skills that would be deployed in their future work.
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