CMS figures put average availability of vital, essential and necessary medicines at 42 percent as the Ministry of Health targets 97 percent availability by December.
GAZETTE REPORTER
Botswana’s medicine supply crisis remains far from resolved, with the Central Medical Stores (CMS) recording average availability of Vital, Essential and Necessary (VEN) medicines at just 42 percent, according to fresh figures released by the Ministry of Health to The Botswana Gazette.
In response to enquiries by The Gazette, the Ministry said that as at 23 September 2026, availability of vital medicines stood at 49 percent, essential medicines at 40 percent and necessary medicines at 20 percent.
The figures provide a fresh snapshot of the pressure confronting the public medicine supply chain despite months of emergency procurement and government interventions aimed at stabilising supplies.
Less than half
According to the Ministry, the three categories combined translate into an average VEN medicine availability rate of 42 percent at CMS.
CMS manages a wide range of medicine lines, including tablets, injections, suspensions and creams used to treat different conditions. Some are maintained as regular stock, while specialist medicines may be procured only when required.
Central stocks
The Ministry said CMS stock figures should not be interpreted to mean that medicines unavailable at the central warehouse are necessarily unavailable throughout the health system.
“Some medicines may not be available at CMS but available at different health facilities,” the Ministry said.
It added that CMS does not keep bulky quantities of medicines centrally because the supply system is structured to maintain at least one month’s supply at hospitals and clinics. As medicines arrive at CMS, they are processed and distributed to health facilities to maintain continuity of care.
December target
Despite the current 42 percent average at CMS, the Ministry said it continues to work with CMS and its partners towards achieving 97 percent medicine availability and maintaining a three-month stock reserve at CMS by December 2026.
The target leaves health authorities with a substantial gap to close over the remaining months of the year.
Supply pressure
Medicine shortages have remained one of Botswana’s most persistent health-sector challenges. In July, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee raised concerns about shortages of essential medicines and delays in distribution. The Ministry told the committee that regulatory processes were among the factors contributing to delays in distributing some medicines.
The latest CMS figures also come against the background of a medicine shortage crisis that prompted government to pursue emergency and international procurement measures.
In March, the Ministry told Parliament that the crisis had exposed systemic weaknesses in forecasting, procurement, logistics and distribution. Government subsequently established a National Logistics Taskforce and pursued international orders as part of efforts to rebuild supplies.
The Ministry maintains that it is committed to improving procurement processes and stabilising the supply chain, with December 2026 now the deadline against which its 97 percent availability and three-month CMS reserve targets will be tested.