09 May 2019

The then Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Biggie Butale says partnership can help to improve the well-being of the nation.

Mr Butale said this at the launch of the Diabetes Apple project in Gaborone on May 8.

The project is a partnership between bank Gaborone and Diabetes Association of Botswana.

Mr Butale stated that the role of non-governmental organizations and the private sector was to compliment government activities.

The role of the civil society, he said, was to bridge the gap between government and its people, to improve service delivery and undertake societal needs assessment from time to time.

As Botswana battles with the scourge of non-communicable diseases, Mr Butale said the Ministry had executed paradigm shift to ensure that non-communicable diseases were not left out in the approach to ensure healthy lifestyle for all in this country.

He said the ministry had taken the initiative to integrate non-communicable diseases especially health promotion and prevention aspects of such diseases with the goal to reduce risk factors.

He further indicated that government was committed to providing high quality world class care for those already afflicted by diabetes.

Mr Butale noted that the  ministry was currently trying to decentralise and integrate quality non communicable diseases services at primary care level as well as strengthening primary health care services in general.

For his part, Chairperson of Diabetes Association Botswana Dr Dipesalema Joel said diabetes was a global pandemic of the 21st century due to increased level of urbanisation and sedentary lifestyle.  Dr Joel said over 90 per cent of all cases of diabetes were type 2 diabetes which was mainly driven by obesity, therefore making it a lifestyle disease.

Dr Joel stated that the nation’s efforts should therefore be geared towards adopting healthy lifestyles.

He said diabetes was a risk factor to cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke which result in premature death.

The Diabetes Apple project is an initiative aimed at raising funds for the diabetes cause in Botswana through the sales of apples at Spar outlets.

The project will kick start on May 15 and funds raised will be donated to Diabetes Association Botswana to enable them to deliver on their mandate. ENDS