The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved the Botswana Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPRR) Project, aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to manage future pandemics, climate-related illnesses, and everyday health challenges. The project will enhance critical medicine supplies, accelerate the detection of disease outbreaks, and make life-saving health data available in real time.
Botswana faces overlapping threats from severe droughts, floods, and vulnerabilities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupt essential health services and threaten human capital gains. The nationwide medicine shortages that led to a State of Public Health Emergency in August 2025 underscore the urgency of this investment. Dr. Stephen Modise, Botswana’s Minister of Health, emphasized that the project addresses national priorities and represents a strategic commitment to building a resilient, data-driven health system that leaves no Motswana behind.
The project will provide $43 million in support, including a $40 million loan and a $3 million grant, focusing on efficiency, equity, and resilience. A key component is the rollout of an electronic Logistics Management Information System (eLMIS) to track medical supplies in real time from central warehouses to remote health posts, preventing shortages and ensuring uninterrupted access to essential medicines. Additionally, a climate-resilient National Drug Quality Control Laboratory will be established to safeguard medicine quality and safety, bolstering public trust and treatment outcomes.
Beyond crisis response, the project aims to build a more efficient and equitable health system. Investments will strengthen disease surveillance and response, with upgrades to the National Public Health Laboratory enabling faster detection of infectious threats. National and district Rapid Response Teams will be trained and deployed for swift action during emerging health risks. The project will also promote gender equality by supporting the inclusion of women in leadership roles within emergency response structures. Implemented over five years by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority, the HEPRR Project represents a strategic step toward long-term health system resilience and sustainable growth.
