In 2001, the total per capita expenditure on health care was Intl $381 (6.6% of GDP).²¹ Among the countries of Africa, this figure falls within a spending range of Intl $652 in South Africa (8.6% of GDP) and Intl $12 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (3.5% of GDP). At 2.0% the smallest spending as a percentage of GDP is in Equatorial Guinea (Tables 6 and 7).

The WHO overall health system performance score places Botswana 169/191 countries. This composite measure of overall health system attainment²² is based on a country’s goals relating to health, responsiveness, and fairness in financing. The measure varies widely across countries and is highly correlated with general levels of human development as captured in the human development index.

Concluding the country report on Botswana, WHO note:

The demand for palliative care services in Botswana is increasing - primarily due to the expanding HIV/AIDS epidemic and secondly due to chronic diseases, such as cancer. While current palliative care services have been found to be somewhat inadequate in this investigation, the gaps to be bridged have been identified and the government of Botswana is committed to providing quality health care services to its entire population. The government has already established a suitable base for strengthening palliative care services by its primary health care delivery system, CHBC programme, national HIV/AIDS activities, National Drug Act, cancer management protocols, and strong partnership among the government, civil society and private sector.²³