Botswana
Issues of Public Health
Through its development as an independent nation over the past 45 years, Botswana has been a leader among African nations in designing effective and thoughtful public health policy. Proactive efforts by the government, particularly the Ministry of Health to provide pioneering treatments, research, and education to its people is inspirational and sets the country apart as a model of success in the public health realm. However, in the face of these efforts lie great challenges. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has hit Botswana hard, and this seminar will look at how the scourge has had devastating effects on every corner of society. Aside from HIV/AIDS, which is arguably Botswana’s most pressing public health threat, other dimensions of the public health story will be explored including women’s health issues, healthcare delivery in rural and urban settings, traditional and modern approaches to medicine, and mental health in an African context. Seminar participants will see and learn about these topics through socio-cultural, political, economic, and environmental paradigms, with a special emphasis on poverty as a barrier to public health. In a broader view, participants will gain a holistic understanding and appreciation of some of the issues that developing nations face in their efforts to provide sustainable public healthcare.
Seminar Locations
This seminar takes place in Gaborone and surrounding communities.