Africa-Press – Botswana. Government is keen to develop a comprehensive national health policy to move Botswana toward Universal Health Coverage, which will enable all to access quality healthcare.
President Advocate Duma Boko said this during a courtesy call with the outgoing World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti on May 30.
“Access to healthcare must mean access to quality healthcare. We must not pride ourselves in universal access to low-quality services,” he said.
President Boko admitted that the country was faced with a serious health challenges citing basic issues of access, shortages in essential and chronic medications and growing public frustration, which he said was weighed heavily on government.
Furthermore, he said cervical cancer was among the most urgent health threats. “
Young women are dying. Our resources are limited, but even when support exists; we often fail to act quickly or at all. Something is not connecting and that disconnect lies within government,” he said.
Additionally, President Boko called for better data collection and management admitting that decision-making without accurate data was unproductive.
He thus remained optimistic for WHO to assist Botswana with technical expertise in building stronger health information systems.
He further acknowledged Dr Moeti’s contribution in the improvement of the health sector both locally and across the world.
Similarly, Dr Moeti also highlighted the need to invest in the data systems to enable them to function effectively for the betterment of the health sector.
She further commended government for decentralising primary healthcare and vesting its management and oversight on local authorities.
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