08 May 2014

The head of preventive services at Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital in Maun, Ms Kedikilwe Gasebatho has said child health is vital to every nation as children are the leaders of tomorrow.

Speaking at the launch of Month of Child Health at Toteng in Ngamiland District on May 7, Ms Gasebatho said the months of May and November were specially assigned after discovering the excessive rise of child mortality rate in Africa, which is caused by preventable diseases.

She said even though people knew how to raise a child, it was still important to know their health and understand every stage of their growth, even when to take them for prevention of disease injections.

She encouraged the community to react as early as possible whenever they noticed any sign of illness and take the child to the nearest clinic for medical treatment as doing so would reduce the child mortality rate.

Health education officer in the district, Mr Kwambala Kebotlwaetse said they were also launching a house to house campaign in the country in which they would observe whether children took their prevention medication and treatment as required; they would also be giving away mosquito nets, she added.

He said the campaign would also ensure that children ate fresh and healthy food, as well as lived in a clean environment; they would also teach the communities about child diseases and how to prevent them at home and the importance of raising a healthy child.

A traditional doctor, Mr Katapo Kapwete, who usually helps the residents with his traditional healing powers, encouraged the public to first take their children to clinics and that traditional healing should come second.

He also advised the public not to smoke in public areas, noting that the practice put children’s lives in the danger of getting lung cancer and other dangerous diseases.

Mr Kapwete advised fellow traditional doctors to observe whether patients were taking their hospital medication and visited clinics before coming for traditional healing.

Ngamiland District Health Management Team (DHMT) head and public health specialist, Dr Christopher Chembe, said childhood diseases were preventable.

Dr Chembe said the public should play a major part in helping the government to fight childhood diseases. He encouraged dikgosi and the Village Development Committees (VDCs) as the village leadership to establish cleaning campaigns and teach people hygiene basics.Ends