04 Oct 2022

Minister of Health Dr Edwin Dikoloti will on October 10 lead the maiden Walk For Life Campaign which commences in Kanye ending in Gaborone five days later.

 According to a ministry media release, the aim is to promote physical activity as a preventative measure against non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The historic campaign hopes to raise awareness of the prevailing health threat, it says.

It notes that the ministry has for some time been grappling with an increasingly high burden of NCDs such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, mental health conditions, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.

The release says most of the NCDs are exacerbated by risky habits such as tobacco usage, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

“Past studies and surveys have consistently revealed that all these risky habits are quickly gaining ground in Botswana. As a result, NCDs have become the leading cause of death for most people,” it says. Ends