THE BIRTH OF HEALTH INSTITUTE FOR DISEASE SURVEILLANCE AND DETECTION IN BOTSWANA

The Ministry of Health has started the Botswana Public Health Institute (BPHI) in order to build up Botswana’s diagnostic capacities to detect new and uprising health warnings.

The start of the institute comes at a time when some national health agencies have been warned that Botswana needs to develop effective and strong surveillance mechanisms to allow early detection of public health threats. As through the COVID- 19 pandemic, Botswana sent it medical samples to South Africa as they did not have the effective diagnostic capacity.

Minister of health Dr. Edwin Dikoloti mentioned that Botswana had learnt its lesson from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Whereas many lessons were learnt during this time, the most important one was that health systems should always be ready to respond to any emergency even without notice,” he said, also pointing out that BPHI will be instrumental in the laboratory and diagnostic capacities to detect new and emerging threats which will save Batswana’s lives from any future threats.

Grace Muzila, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, stated that 8 million has been set aside for this revenue year, and that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centres of Disease Control (CDC) will also assist. The CDC will support BPHI by updating the public health priority illness lists, evaluating research capacity at the national and subnational levels. Revising and creating a priority agenda for operational research in public health, and carrying out threat and hazard identification and risk assessments.

The Ministry of Health has started the Botswana Public Health Institute (BPHI) in order to build up Botswana’s diagnostic capacities to detect new and uprising health warnings.

The start of the institute comes at a time when some national health agencies have been warned that Botswana needs to develop effective and strong surveillance mechanisms to allow early detection of public health threats. As through the COVID- 19 pandemic, Botswana sent it medical samples to South Africa as they did not have the effective diagnostic capacity.

Minister of health Dr. Edwin Dikoloti mentioned that Botswana had learnt its lesson from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Whereas many lessons were learnt during this time, the most important one was that health systems should always be ready to respond to any emergency even without notice,” he said. Also pointing out that BPHI will be instrumental in the laboratory and diagnostic capacities to detect new and emerging threats which will save Batswana’s lives from any future threats.

Grace Muzila, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, stated that 8 million has been set aside for this revenue year, and that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centres of Disease Control (CDC) will also assist.

The CDC will support BPHI by updating the public health priority illness lists, evaluating research capacity at the national and subnational levels. Revising and creating a priority agenda for operational research in public health, and carrying out threat and hazard identification and risk assessments.