04 Sep 2022

 Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remain a major health challenge and have over the years claimed many lives in Botswana and around the world.

According to the 2018-2023 Botswana Multi-Sectorial Strategy For The Prevention And Control Of Non-Communicable Diseases, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases were estimated to have caused 18 per cent of the deaths in Botswana in 2016.

The strategy also reflects that diabetes mellitus accounted for six per cent of deaths and cancer accounted to seven per cent of the deaths in Botswana in 2016.

In an effort to help address the problem of people losing lives untimely to NCDs, the Lions Club of Lobatse has embarked on holding health camps to sensitise and screen people for NCDs.

They held one such camp at Lobatse Junction Mall on Saturday and screened many people for diabetes, blood pressure and eye sight problems free of charge.

The president of Lobatse Lions Club, Ms Thato Serema said they had carried out such health camps a number of times in Lobatse and surrounding villages.

Ms Serema said the health camps have had tremendous impact on the community members and saved many lives. 

Some individuals they screened in the past were found to have very high blood sugar levels and taken to hospital, she added noting that they had also screened some people for eye sight and assisted them with eye glasses.

“We have seen the joy on a face because for the first time in many years, they were able to read because we provided them with a pair of reading glasses. That is what keeps us going, knowing that we have helped someone is what motivates us to keep doing these health camps. 

Although we may not be able to solve all the problems, together we can overcome a large number of them,” she said.

Ms Serema said the Lions Club of Lobatse was established in 1968 as part of the largest service organisation in the world, the Lions Club International and currently has about 250 members.

“We are a group of men, women, boys and girls who have come together for a common cause, service to our communities. That is to better the livelihoods of the people in the communities we live in. One of our slogan is that ‘where there is need there is a Lion’,” she said.

She thanked OK Chemist, Community Pharmacists Association of Botswana, Hareford Holding and Darani Investments, Gaborone Health and Wellness Lions Club and Regent Hill International School Lions Club for partnering with them in the health camp.

Lobatse District Health Management Team (DHMT) coordinator, Dr Motlalepula Pone lauded the Lions Club of Lobatse for such a generous gesture.

Dr Pone said the health camp aimed at bringing services closer to the community and giving opportunity to those who might not have been able to go to the clinic.

She said it was vital that community members conducted regular check-ups to ensure that they did not have underlying problems which might be fatal.

“This extensive outreach and collaboration is indeed promoting the 21st century collaborations we as a nation need to foster in order to reach global standards in healthcare through community care.

It is indeed commendable that Lions Club International currently focuses on the following global causes of vision/sight, diabetes, childhood cancer, the environment and hunger,” said Dr Pone.

She also commended the Lions Club of Lobatse for having carried out many projects in the town such as donating books to school children and toiletries to patients at Sbrana Psychiatrist Hospital amongst others. Ends