Botswana Global Health Program in Medicine

Training in Global Health Medicine

The Botswana Global Health Program in Medicine was launched in 2011 in partnership with Scottish Livingstone Hospital (SLH), the Botswana Ministry of Health and the Botswana-Harvard Partnership. The program offers exciting resident elective and fellowship opportunities for those interested in a unique global health learning experience. This is available to trainees at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and other U.S. institutions. Talented faculty and staff are dedicated to providing comprehensive training and mentorship, ensuring a transformative experience for all participants.

Departmental Activities

The Botswana Global Health Program in Medicine aims to promote health equity by contributing to health care delivery and clinical capacity in Botswana. We strive to fulfill our mission by working with local partners to support medical education, clinical training, care delivery and quality improvement in the local health care setting.

Our activities in Botswana include:

• Stewardship of internal medicine inpatient and outpatient clinical services at Scottish Livingstone Hospital (SLH)
• Clinical training in internal medicine for University of Botswana medical students, interns and residents
• Contribution to continuing medical education activities for health care staff at SLH and the surrounding district
• Outreach and clinical mentorship at outlying district healthcare facilities
• Promotion of quality and system improvement initiatives
• Leadership of quality improvement- and medical education-focused research

Medicine at Scottish Livingstone Hospital

Medicine services at Scottish Livingstone Hospital include:

• Adult HIV prevalence in Botswana is 20%. Approximately 90% of adults living with HIV are on highly active anti-retroviral treatment (HAART).
• HIV prevalence among patients admitted to the Scottish Livingstone Hospital (SLH) medical wards is around 40%.
• The most common reasons for medical admissions among HIV positive patients are tuberculosis, bacterial pneumonia and gastroenteritis. The most common among HIV negative admissions are heart failure, diabetes and stroke events.
• Available laboratory resources at SLH include complete blood counts, basic chemistry panels, liver function tests, coagulation panels, CD4 counts, HIV-quantitative PCR, blood gas and microbiological testing.
• Available imaging modalities include plain X-rays and ultrasound, including frequent use of point-of-care ultrasound performed by physicians at the patient's bedside.
• The medicine team manages a wide range of both infectious and non-infectious diseases in the inpatient and outpatient setting.

While Botswana is the Department of Medicine's main training site, we offer additional opportunities to work in underserved communities in the U.S. and abroad.