As Botswana struggles through one of the most difficult economic periods in its post-independence history, a far deeper and less visible crisis may be unfolding.
While headlines focus on inflation, unemployment, budget deficits and health care crises, another story is most likely being written in the wombs of expectant mothers and the homes of young families. The long-term cost of this economic downturn may not be felt fully for decades, but when it does, it may come in the form of accelerated aging, poorer health and diminished productivity in an entire generation of Batswana.
A growing body of international research offers a sobering perspective, suggesting that the hard times a number of families are currently going through may actually be a signal that, the country faces a deeper longer-lasting risk: the silent scarring of an entire generation.
A study titled, “The Early Shocks on Aging Outcomes: Evidence from the US Great Depression”, reveals that children born during or shortly after the Depression suffered long term consequences, not just in economic terms, but in health, lifespan and productivity. They were more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses, earned less over their lifetimes, and aged faster than those born during more stable times. The economic shocks their parents endured, loss of income, poor nutrition, reduced access to healthcare, left lasting physiological and cognitive imprints.
But even more striking is a companion paper: “In Utero Exposure to the Great Depression is Reflected in Late-Life Epidemic Aging Signatures.” This study found that individuals exposed to the stress and deprivation of the Great Depression while still in the womb experienced signs of accelerated aging – especially after age 75. In simple terms, the economic hardship of their early life didn’t just affect how they lived, it shaped how long and how well they lived.
These findings carry powerful relevance for Botswana today. Between 2023 and 2024, graduate unemployment jumped by 18.5% with over 70, 000 graduates unable to find work. Household consumption is shrinking, inflation is eating away at the value of the Pula, hospitals are running out of drugs and medication and infrastructure spending is drying up. In sectors which are dependent of government expenditure, job losses are mounting. Public services are stretched thin. For many families, even basic nutrition and healthcare are becoming luxuries.
This is the environment into which thousands of children are now being born. If history is any guide, the consequences will be long term and multi-generational. Poor maternal nutrition, toxic stress during pregnancy, and childhood deprivation are not just social tragedies, they are biological events. They shape how genes express, how organs function, and how people age. A child born today in Botswana may live with the echo of today’s economic crisis well into their 70s and 80s.
That is why this moment demands urgent, human centered policy responses. It is not enough to focus on fiscal consolidation or macroeconomic targets. Botswana must act to protect its most vulnerable citizens, not just in words, but in direct investments in maternal health, early childhood nutrition, education and income support for young families. These are not welfare expenses; they are national resilience strategies.
The experience of the United Stated during the Great Depression of the 1930s offer a cautionary tale. Just as the US Depression babies paid the price for their government’s slow response, Botswana cannot afford to let today’s children bear the cost of policy inaction. The long-term health of the nation, both physically and economically may depend on what we do right now.
