25 Mar 2026

The campaign on cervical cancer screening has been viewed as a positive drive toward early detection and successful treatment.

The Chairperson of Kgatleng District Council, Mr Thabo Komane said a landmark achievement for the current quarter was on the Women’s Cancer Screening Campaign, conducted from January 29 to February 12, 2026, in which 1 002 women across the district were screened for cervical cancer.

“Early detection saves lives, and this campaign is a statement of our commitment to women’s health," he said.

Addressing a full council meeting on March 23, Mr Komane also said monitoring polio preparedness following warnings from the Ministry of Health regarding outbreaks in neighbouring Namibia and Zambia.

He further said a national supplementary immunisation exercise was being planned, and the district was already conducting support and mentorship visits to all health facilities in readiness.

He added that the situation on health services still remained fragile, though availability of pharmaceutical items had noticeably improved.

He said Deborah Retief Memorial (DRM)Hospital had received a main supply order from Central Medical Stores (CMS) on February 19, containing lifesaving drugs and medicines, which included but not limited to non-drugs, stitches, antipsychotics, and IV antibiotics.

“DRM Hospital is relatively stable in oral medications for chronic and infectious diseases, including ARVs, malaria, and vaccines. While availability fluctuates, our pharmacy team is proactively buffering stock within the district as well as bartering with neighbouring districts,” said Mr Komane.

However, he said the situation of primary healthcare services in the district was a concern as at January 31, availability of drugs and non-drugs items in the district stood at 52 per cent, far below the national target of 90 per cent.

“This situation is concerning. Continued gaps in supply puts our services at risk and lower the quality of care we give. That is why we must watch supplies closely and have strong backup plans to protect our people. Our mobile clinic coverage now stands at 75 per cent for the period April to December 2025, following the allocation of a dedicated vehicle. Every medical area now has its own dedicated medical officer, ensuring continuity of care. The Men’s Clinic at Boseja 2, launched on November 21, 2025, is already bearing fruit through early detection of men’s health issues,” added Mr Komane.

On social and community development, Mr Komane said a total of 4 576 individuals were registered, from which 1 970 were destitute persons, 1 708 needy students, 558 orphans, 20 persons in Community Home Based Care and 320 children in need of protection.

He added that child protection issues demanded urgency. Mr Komane said the quarter had seen 146 cases of defilement, 64 cases of rape, 34 cases of child ill-treatment and 378 family welfare cases, from which 275 affecting females and 103 males.

He said the statistics were not just numbers, as they demonstrated children who were affected. “Our caseworkers will be trained on an evidence-based model of child abuse therapy that targets behavioural change in perpetrators and provides therapeutic support for affected children,” he said.

Mr Komane said through stakeholders’ engagement, vulnerable families not enrolled in formal programmes had received in kind and cash donations from private partners. He said through such collaborations, First National Bank Botswana supported Khurutshe Primary School by providing hostel equipment and supplies worth P97,000.

Additionally, he said the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) had deepened its partnership with Oliphant Drift community through Adopted Village Extension Programme (AVEP). He said AVEP was a flagship initiative of the BUAN Extension Strategy Framework, designed to strengthen the linkages between BUAN, the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture and local communities.

“It aims to translate agricultural research and innovations into practical solutions for farmers while providing BUAN students with field-based learning experiences. They recently conducted research and met Kgatleng leadership and Oliphant Drift community in February 2026 to share their baseline research findings and allow meaningful engagement and contributions to the projects decision making process. This provides an opportunity to inform and guide future project decisions and planning process,” said Mr Komane. BOPA