Health, vaccinations and medical care in Botswana

Malaria, by half of the country and by month

• The northern half, including the Okavango Delta, is high risk from October to May, and NaTHNaC recommends chemoprophylaxis there: atovaquone with proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine.
• The same northern half is low risk from June to September, where the advice is awareness and bite avoidance rather than tablets.
• The southern half is very low risk all year. A Gaborone business trip and a Delta safari are not the same medical decision.
• The picture is moving. The FCDO recorded in April 2025 that malaria had spread into areas where it is not usually present, so take current advice rather than a map you saw once.
• Treat any fever of 38C or more as possible malaria, from a week after exposure until a year after you get home.

The other things to know about

• Schistosomiasis is present in fresh water. Another reason not to swim in the rivers, alongside the crocodiles.
• Anthrax breaks out among wild animals from time to time. Do not touch dead animals or carcases, and get urgent advice if you think you have.
• Ticks carry several dangerous diseases, so take precautions if you are camping or walking in the bush.

Getting treated, and paying for it

• Call 997 for an ambulance.
• Medicine and medical supply shortages remain widespread across public health facilities. Private healthcare is largely unaffected, which is what your insurance is for.
• A private hospital will not treat you unless you can pay, and the cost can be high. A public hospital will only take you as an emergency patient if you have full insurance, and outpatient treatment is paid up front.
• Serious cases may mean medical evacuation to the UK or South Africa. The policy has to cover evacuation and repatriation with funds you can actually reach, and you should call the insurer as soon as you are referred.
• Care is good in the major towns and limited in rural areas, along with communications. In the Delta you are an air ambulance away from a hospital.

Before you go

• Check vaccine recommendations at least 8 weeks ahead.
• A yellow fever certificate is an entry requirement if you are arriving from a transmission-risk country, so this overlaps with the border rules rather than being only medical advice.