21 Nov 2017

The rise of non-communicable diseases, responsible for most global mortalities calls for mandatory healthy lifestyle, says Councillor Onalethata Ngati of Bosele ward in Ghanzi.

Speaking after a 20 kilometre fitness walk dubbed Walk for life on November 18, Cllr Ngati thanked those who participated, saying they had invested in their own health.

Mr Ngati said healthy lifestyle should be a household routine to avoid non-communicable diseases, such which include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.

He said these lifestyle diseases, responsible for 60 per cent of all global deaths could be prevented through healthy lifestyle.

As such, he implored community members to adopt healthy eating diets and habits, undertaking of physical activity at least thrice in a week ans well as shun binge drinking and smoking.

He stated that in Botswana there were 48 896 people suffering from high blood pressure and 286 patients of cardiac failure from January to October 2017.

During the same period, he said there were 4 787 people suffering from sugar diabetes while 144 patients suffered from stroke.

In Ghanzi district, he said 382 new cases of high blood pressure and 51 new cases of diabetes from January to October 2017 were registered.

From January to October 2017, he said there were five cases of cardiac failure and four cases of stroke.

He called for periodic checkup and screening and adherence to treatment. ENDS