The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning: global health funding cuts could derail efforts to protect mothers and newborns across Africa. In Botswana alone, maternal mortality remains alarmingly high, with 175.5 deaths per 100,000 live births—far above the WHO’s 2030 target of 70.
‘Underfunded health systems are leaving women and children behind,’ said WHO Botswana’s Juliet Bataringaya during World Health Day events in Gaborone. She highlighted shrinking budgets for critical programs, including antenatal care and HIV testing.
Botswana’s acting Health Minister, Lawrence Ookeditse, urged expansion of grassroots healthcare to tackle pregnancy complications. But with global aid dwindling, stakeholders fear progress could stall.
The WHO’s 2025 campaign, ‘Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,’ aims to spotlight maternal survival. As funding falters, advocates demand urgent investment to save lives. ‘This isn’t just a number—it’s families,’ one activist said.
In Botswana alone, maternal mortality remains alarmingly high, with 175.5 deaths per 100,000 live births—far above the WHO’s 2030 target of 70.
‘Underfunded health systems are leaving women and children behind,’ said WHO Botswana’s Juliet Bataringaya during World Health Day events in Gaborone. She highlighted shrinking budgets for critical programs, including antenatal care and HIV testing. 
The WHO’s 2025 campaign, ‘Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,’ aims to spotlight maternal survival. As funding falters, advocates demand urgent investment to save lives. 
‘This isn’t just a number—it’s families,’ one activist said.
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