The Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs has revealed that the country is battling a worrying rise in diarrhoeal disease with eight deaths already recorded and hundreds of children under the age of five affected by diarrhoea accompanied by dehydration.
The ministry has urged the public to take immediate precautions as health authorities intensify the outbreak response.
According to the ministry, the Botswana Public Health Institute’s (BPHI) Week 37 report, covering 6–12 September 2026, recorded a total of 454 cases of diarrhoea with dehydration among children under five nationally. The cases have been linked to eight deaths reported in Gaborone, Mahalapye, Boteti, Letlhakeng, Francistown and Palapye. The concentration of deaths among young children has raised particular concern because diarrhoeal diseases can rapidly lead to severe dehydration and death if treatment is delayed.
The ministry has warned parents and caregivers not to wait for the condition to deteriorate before seeking medical attention. It advises that medical care should be sought immediately when a child begins passing loose stools three or more times within 24 hours.
The ministry has warned parents and caregivers not to wait for the condition to deteriorate before seeking medical attention. It advises that medical care should be sought immediately when a child begins passing loose stools three or more times within 24 hours.
In response to the increase, the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, working with the Ministry of Health and BPHI, has deployed six multi-disciplinary teams to districts between 21 and 25 September 2026.
The teams have been tasked with strengthening the outbreak response and providing clinical mentorship on the management of diarrhoeal cases. The development comes against the backdrop of the vulnerability of young children to dehydration, making early intervention critical.
The ministry has called on households to strengthen basic hygiene measures, particularly handwashing with soap and clean water before preparing or eating food and after using the toilet.
It has also urged residents to drink safe, treated or boiled water and ensure that food is prepared and stored hygienically. Keeping homes and surrounding areas clean is also being emphasised as part of efforts to stop further transmission.
The warning comes as the eight reported deaths demonstrate the potentially severe consequences of diarrhoeal disease among young children. The ministry says disease surveillance remains active across all districts and that health authorities are monitoring trends and responding accordingly.
The government has placed particular emphasis on children already suffering from diarrhoea.
Parents and caregivers have been advised to provide children with oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc sulphate while seeking immediate medical care.
The warning comes as the eight reported deaths demonstrate the potentially severe consequences of diarrhoeal disease among young children. The ministry says disease surveillance remains active across all districts and that health authorities are monitoring trends and responding accordingly.
However, the latest figures put communities on notice that diarrhoeal disease is not simply a routine childhood illness when dehydration sets in. The ministry has urged communities to treat the warning seriously, particularly parents and caregivers of young children. It says good hygiene practices, early healthcare seeking and community cooperation are essential to reducing illness and preventing further loss of life. The affected areas identified by the ministry are Gaborone, Mahalapye, Boteti, Letlhakeng, Francistown and Palapye.
