• In 2018 6.3% of peoplewere living in areas of active transmission (Total population at risk: 1.5 million)
• Over past three years, Botswana has achieved a remarkable decline in malaria cases on its point of entry in Bobirwa, Chobe,Okavango and North East districts.
• Overall endemicity of malaria is reduced from 1876, 585 to 272- total confirmed malaria cases in 2017, 2018 to 2019 respectively.
• The local transmission reduced from 271 cases in 2018 to 85 cases in 2019. Malaria transmission occurs during Botswana’s rainy season, between October and May.

The key strategies employed in Botswana’s strategic plan to eliminate malaria by 2022 include:

1. Community mass testing & treating activities implementation
2. Larvicide activities
3. Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) mass distribution
4. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) targeted to at least 90% coverage
5. Case and foci investigation and case classification
6. Case reporting from private sector is mandatory
7. Quality assurance by national reference laboratory
8. Confirmation of all malaria cases by Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and Microscopy
9. Treatment of malaria cases with primaquine

• Targeting truck drivers crossing into Botswana with malaria testing and treatment
• Timely planning and roll out of annual spray campaigns
• Immediate deployment of outbreak response teams in affected communities