Texas Children’s affirmed its Global Health partnership with the Republic of Botswana and praised our mutual commitment to children and families during a recent visit from President Mokgweetsi Masisi and a delegation of Botswanan leaders.
Texas Children’s, Botswana-Baylor Children’s Clinical Centre of Excellence Trust and Baylor College of Medicine operate through a public-private partnership with the government of Botswana. Launched in 2003, the Trust established the first pediatric HIV/AIDS Center of Excellence in Africa at Princess Marina Hospital in the capital city of Gaborone.
Today, it provides more than 7,500 children, adolescents and families with state-of-the-art pediatric HIV, oncology and blood disorder care and treatment at no cost. The program also builds the capacity of local health care workers through trainings in emergency medicine and critical care.
“We’ve accomplished so much more than I could have ever imagined,” said Texas Children’s President and CEO Mark A. Wallace, who hosted the Botswana delegation and extended a warm welcome upon their arrival in late September.
President Masisi and a delegation last traveled to Texas Children’s in 2018 – well before the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“We see this partnership growing from strength to strength and continuously benefiting the most vulnerable in Botswana,” said President Masisi regarding this visit. “Together we can improve the health care service delivery in Botswana and the region.”
Mr. Wallace noted that Texas Children’s was able to donate supplies and personal protective equipment to Botswana during the pandemic, and expressed excitement about expanding our partnership and work in the southern African nation for generations to come.
“We simply could not have asked for a better partner,” Mr. Wallace said. “From day one, you’ve trusted us to serve your country’s children and provide the same care we give to patients here at Texas Children’s. We do this because every child we serve in Botswana is a patient of Texas Children’s Hospital.”
Dr. Mogomotsi Matshaba, executive director of the Botswana Baylor Trust, visited Texas Children’s alongside President Masisi.
OB/GYN-in-Chief Dr. Michael Belfort, Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Larry Hollier, Pathologist-in-Chief Dr. James Versalovic and Co-Directors of Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development – Dr. Peter Hotez and Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi – also participated.
