The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning about the escalating risks to maternal and newborn healthcare in Africa due to shrinking global health funding. At a World Health Day event in Gaborone, Botswana, WHO officials emphasized that underfunded health systems, workforce shortages, and infrastructural gaps are exacerbating health disparities, with women and children bearing the brunt of the crisis.
Juliet Bataringaya, WHO Botswana's acting lead, revealed that critical programs and medical research initiatives are being scaled back as budgets dwindle. Botswana’s maternal mortality ratio, highlighted by its Ministry of Health, remains alarmingly high at 175.5 deaths per 100,000 live births — more than double the WHO’s 2030 target of 70. Persistent fluctuations since 2015 underscore systemic challenges in ensuring safe pregnancies and deliveries.
Botswana’s Acting Health Minister Lawrence Ookeditse stressed the urgency of expanding antenatal care, improving HIV testing, and addressing pregnancy-related complications. However, declining international support threatens to derail progress. Stakeholders are urging sustained investment and policy reforms to safeguard vulnerable populations and achieve global health milestones.
The 2025 World Health Day campaign, themed "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures," aims to galvanize action for maternal and newborn survival. As funding pressures mount, advocates caution that millions of lives hang in the balance.
