Botswana President Boko Launches Malaria Council Initiative

President Boko of Botswana launched the Botswana End Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Council in Tlokweng, advocating for enhanced community participation and domestic financing to combat malaria and other preventable diseases. He emphasized the challenges of climate change, insecticide and drug resistance, invasive mosquito species, and declining donor funding.

The Assistant Health Minister, Lawrence Ookeditse, reported a significant increase in malaria cases, rising from 290 in 2024 to 2,451 in 2025, with deaths increasing from two to 16 during the same period. As of the time of the address, Botswana had recorded 1,478 malaria cases and 12 deaths in 2026.

Boko stressed the importance of community ownership for the success of anti-malaria campaigns, referencing Botswana’s Kgotla tradition of consultation. The newly established council aims to coordinate leadership, financing, and community mobilization efforts ahead of the peak malaria transmission season, which typically runs from October to May.