Elder Care Policy in Botswana: Transforming Elder Care through Collective Policy Action across Southern Africa

Elder care is not a niche policy concern. It sits at the intersection of social protection, public health, gender equality, and human rights. As Botswana’s population ages, as family structures are reshaped by HIV/AIDS and internal migration, and as fiscal consolidation tightens the social protection floor, the question of how the state supports older persons and those who care for them is becoming one of the defining governance challenges of the coming decade.

The National Policy Dialogue on Elder Care in Botswana was convened in February 2026 against this backdrop: and at a critical moment. The Older Persons Act is before cabinet. Pension reform has raised expectations. Civil society organisations are doing essential work without state support. Caregivers (mostly women) are sustaining a system that does not sustain them.

This Dialogue brought together government officials, researchers, academics, social workers, healthcare practitioners, civil society representatives, community leaders, older persons, and family caregivers to name the problems, map the gaps, and identify what needs to happen. What emerged was a practical agenda: a set of findings grounded in evidence and a set of recommendations anchored in what is achievable.