Hi Stuart:

The concerns that Mark has raised in his post #3 above are valid, and should be carefully considered.

So far as availability of medications is concerned, you have listed quite a wide range of countries so far as economic health and level of development are concerned. I would not be too concerned about the availability (or authenticity) of medications in Botswana or Namibia, but I would be very concerned about both availability and authenticity in (for example) Zimbabwe.

Consider that there is not much of a market for a "first world" medication that might cost USD $100 in Europe or North America in an African country where the majority of the population earns less than $100 a month.

Consider also that in many middle-income and lesser-developed countries, generic medications will be manufactured locally, thus pretty much eliminating the market for any imported 'brand name' equivalent or even an imported generic equivalent. This means that the only drug available (at any price) will be the locally produced equivalent, or (even worse) a Chinese produced equivalent.

Whenever I have travelled to African countries in the past - and I have spent a lot of time living and working in lesser-developed African countries - I have brought with me a course of antibiotics, and all the malaria prophylaxis & treatment that I might need. So far as treatment for popular local diseases (e.g. bilharzia), I work on the assumption that I can get treatment for such a disease at an expatriate-oriented medical clinic in the capital city.... so I just bring a lot of money instead.

Michael