02 May 2022

In-patient rehabilitation centre under construction in Serowe is nearing completion and is expected to start operation in 2023, deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mr Moses Keetile has said.

Speaking at the launch of the International Society for Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) Botswana Chapter in Gaborone on Friday, he said the centre would be used to admit patients who required admission and care.

He said to increase capacity to provide in-patient treatment services throughout the country, services would also be provided at Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital in Lobatse to assist patients in the southern part of the country.

Mr Keetile said the harm caused by substance use knows no geographic, economic, social or ethnic boundaries and each year hundreds of people; rich or poor, educated, illiterate, male, female and even young children die from substance use disorders while many were victims of substances use violence.

“Beyond the toll substances has taken on health and welfare, substance use disorders undermine economic development, diminish social and political stability and reduce security, and as government we have partnered with Non-governmental organisations and communities to combat the alcohol and substance use related harm,” he said.

 He said some interventions included the alcohol levy, public education and awareness, ministry’s coordination of the first local Universal Treatment Curricula (UTC) and universal Prevention Curricula (UPC) training in Botswana, which resulted in some addiction professionals being credentialed as International Certified Addiction Professionals (ICAP)

ISSUP Botswana Chapter chairperson, Dr Morekwe Selemogwe-Matsetse said the launch was not the end, but a beginning of a long journey for the society. She said ISSUP was an International Society of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professionals.

She said entities around the globe registered to join as either non-governmental organisations or government and Botswana joined the global community of about 24 thousand members last year around October. Botswana Association of Addiction Professional (BAAP) has since been formed and registered with ISSUP.

“As Batswana we have attended various ISSUP international events and we admire countries that have successfully launched their chapters, which are now fully operational.

It was long journey to register the society in Botswana; the support we received from ISSUP Africa coordinator and ISSUP global kept us going despite challenges we faced in establishing the society,” she said.

 She said the objectives of ISSUP Botswana, among others, were to professionalise the field of alcohol and substance use prevention and treatment by supporting the development of a professional workforce.

Dr Selemogwe-Matsetse said this was quite important in that the field of addiction had for a long time not been clearly defined with a lot of lay people with good intentions being at the fore-front trying to address challenges of alcohol and substance use in the country.

She said by professionalising addiction field, the society aimed to offer training and courses developed by partners including Colombo Plan, which included: Universal Treatment Curricula, Universal Prevention Curricula, Recovery Coaching and Women in Substance Exposure, Treatment of Adolescent with Substance Use Disorders.

“By professionalising the addiction field, we will be encouraging the use of evidence- based practices.

Evidence-based practices are practices that have been researched on and have been found to be most effective,” she said.

She said through the society, professionals would be able to share information about evidence- based interventions, which would improve service delivery in addressing alcohol and substance use in the country. ENDS