16 Mar 2021

Government will continue to strategise efforts intended to address Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD).

This was said by the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Edwin Dikoloti answering a question in Parliament from the Jwaneng /Mabutsane MP, Mr Mephato Reatile.

He said the ministry’s 2021/22 financial budget had a provision to cater for the strategies to be implemented and the estimated figures to be used would be announced through the Committee of Supply presentation.

Dr Dikoloti noted that the efforts implemented by the government were guided by Botswana Multi–Sectoral Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2018 – 2023.

“The strategy’s mission is to reduce the burden of NCDs and their modifiable risk factors through evidence-based, cost-effective approaches and partnerships,” he said, adding that the strategy had four priority areas that had been identified as anchors.

He noted that the anchors included prevention and health promotion, early detection, quality treatment, care and support, monitoring, surveillance and research as well as governance, partnerships and multi-sectoral coordination.

Dr Dikoloti also said the anchors were aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan for the prevention and Control of NCD.

He further stated that the prevention and health promotion anchor sought to reduce risk factors through awareness, promotion of healthy lifestyles and the creation of enabling environments and early detection, quality treatment, care and support intended to diagnose, treat and mitigate impact of disease through health systems reorientation, early detection and provision of quality, people-centered services that begin at the primary care level.

In addition, he said monitoring, surveillance and research aimed to perform monitoring, surveillance and research in order to understand the burden of disease; identify innovative solutions and evaluate impact of interventions while governance, partnerships and multi-sectoral coordination accelerated the country’s response to NCDs, through strengthened national prioritization, coordination, multi-sectoral action and partnerships.

“These strategies are evidence based, and are informed by international benchmarks and best practice. We just have to be able to execute them, we are at early stages of effecting enhanced management by ensuring that the diagnostics or biomedical engineering aspect was managed better,” he said.

Dr Dikoloti said roll out of the strategies would require effective execution and a complementary effort by all officials and all concerned stakeholders.

He said the needed support included implementation of the Integrated Community–Based Health Services Strategy to disseminate information to the general public.

He said strategy involved working with a variety of partners such as WHO, UNFPA, , the Centre for Disease Control, the benefiting communities, private sector and Dikgosi among others.

Dr Dikoloti further said it was worth noting that the disease burden, both globally and nationally, had continued to shift away from communicable to non-communicable diseases and from premature death to years lived with disability.

He said so far, the burden of Cancer stood at 1 400 diagnosed patients per year, Diabetes stood at six per cent among adults aged 15-69 years, thus (92 480 out of 1 541 339).

“As far as NCDs are concerned, we are dealing with hypertension, stroke, and heart attack. Among these; the order of burden is led by Hypertension. It accounts for 23 per cent among adults aged 15-69 years (354 507 out of 1 541 339), it is then followed by stroke, and heart attack, which are among the top 10 causes of death,” he said.

Dr Dikoloti noted that the mortality rate imposed by NCD stood at 46 per cent of total deaths in Botswana, Cardiovascular diseases such hypertension, stroke, heart attack stood at 18 per cent, Cancers 7 per cent and Diabetes 6 per cent.

The minister said the common risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases were classified into three categories, biological, behavioral and socioeconomic.

The behavioral risk factors, he said, were identified by the WHO as termed lifestyle factors.

“These included unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco consumption, and harmful use of alcohol,” he said adding that genetics and family history also play a role.

Mr Reatile had asked the minister  to update Parliament on the disease burden in the country especially, Cancer, Diabetes, other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in order of burden. ENDs