13 Mar 2013

Central District Council (CDC) chairperson, Mr Lesego Raditanka has said they did not achieve the World Health Organisation's spraying coverage target of 80 per cent during the malaria indoor residual spraying for 2012/13.

This, Mr Raditanka said, was due to collision of the spraying time with the ploughing season, adverse weather conditions, reluctance by some members of the community and absence of families from their homes, among other things.

Speaking during the CDC meeting in Serowe on Monday, he noted that Tutume Sub-district recorded 72 per cent, Boteti covered 73 per cent while Bobirwa Sub-district recorded 74 per cent.

Mr Raditanka said Boteti recorded the highest refusal rate of seven per cent which was 933 homes, but as a way forward, public education would be intensified to reach out to communities for better understanding of the importance of the exercise.

He also noted that Tonota Sub-district was declared a non-endemic area and as such was not sprayed during the season.

Furthermore, he said the CDC experienced flooding particularly in the sub-districts of Tutume, Boteti, Bobirwa, Mahalapye and Palapye Administrative Authority in January this year.

He noted that in Tutume,  infrastructural damage was experienced on the newly completed Nata/Sepako road, Nata River Bridge and Manxotae access road.

On other issues, Mr Raditanka said gender based violence remained the most pervasive and persistent form of inequality.

He explained that gender and equality were human rights and women were entitled to live in dignity as well as in freedom from persecution and fear.

He said empowering women was also an indispensable tool for advancing development and reducing poverty.  ENDS