M42 said on August 26, 2026 that it has signed a 10-year strategic partnership with Botswana’s Ministry of Health. The agreement, signed in Gaborone, is the Abu Dhabi group’s first health-systems partnership in Africa. Acting Permanent Secretary Dr Tshepo Machacha signed for the government, with Health Minister Dr Stephen Modise present. Kareem Shahin, chief executive of M42’s digital health business, represented the company.

The work covers digital health transformation, a national genomics program, precision medicine, and local capacity building. M42 and Mubadala Bio will also work with Botswana on pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, with the aim of a more reliable supply chain and faster procurement. The signing followed parliament’s approval, on August 19, of a National Health Insurance Policy that Minister Modise presented as a path to universal coverage.

“This agreement is about strengthening our health security, building resilience into our supply chains, and ensuring that no patient in Botswana is left without the medicines and medical products they need because of avoidable delays.” Dr Stephen Modise, Minister of Health, Botswana

Group chief executive Dimitris Moulavasilis said M42 wants to show that countries can skip legacy systems and build digital, AI-native health services that start with prevention. Shahin said the company would work alongside Botswana’s clinicians so that medicines, technology, and care reach communities, not only the capital.

Decoded Take

This is a Gulf health group using a decade-long government contract to enter Africa, not a one-off clinic opening. Genomics and AI sit in the press language. The binding pieces that patients will feel first are supply-chain reliability and whether digital records actually reach district hospitals. A 10-year term gives M42 time to install systems and gives Gaborone time to become dependent on them. The watch items are narrower than the ceremony: named genomics milestones, a working procurement pipeline with Mubadala Bio, and whether the new insurance policy and this vendor stack stay aligned after the next budget cycle.