Botswana has declared a public health emergency as it faces a shortage of essential medicines and medical equipment, BBC reported.

President Duma Boko made the announcement in a televised address on Monday, setting out a multimillion-dollar plan to rectify the supply chain involving military oversight. 

Managing the shortages would be "highly price sensitive due to our limited coffers", he told the nation.

The economy of Botswana, which has a population of 2.5 million, has been hit by a downturn in the international diamond market, as it is one of the world's leading diamond producers. This strain, further fuelled by US aid cuts, has seen high levels of unemployment and poverty, according to media reports, according to BBC.