25 Feb 2014

Ghanzi District is said to be experiencing health challenges with high number of defilement cases, teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Speaking at Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) employee wellness day over the weekend (February 22-23), District AIDS coordinator, Ms Tshoganetso Mahupe, said the Ghanzi District had many unreported defilement cases. Ms Mahupe said patients aged below 16 came to clinics and hospitals for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases that they contracted as a result of defilement. Such cases were mostly not reported because the police have lower figures.

Defilement leads to high rate of teenage pregnancy in Ghanzi. 92 such cases were recorded at Charleshill and 31 in Ghanzi in 2013. The prevalence of AIDS has also gone up, rising from 13.5 in 2008 to 17.6 in 2013. She asked employees to be cautious and responsible because the situation caused concern. She blamed defilement on adult, working men.

She encouraged WUC employees to take wellness seriously because it not only improved minds but also the quality of work.

The Senior Medical Officer at Ghanzi Primary Hospital, Dr Roqibul Alam, also encouraged staff to engage in wellness programme because it enhanced the wellbeing of workers holistically by preventing or reducing work-related stress. He said a wellness programme in the workplace also built support mechanisms, increase staff morale as well as strengthen work relationships.

Dr Alam described wellness as the ability to live life to the fullest and maximize personal potential in a variety of ways.

Wellness involves continually learning and making changes to enhance one’s state of well-being.He listed 12 ways of staying well: eating balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting adequate rest, reducing stress, washing hands, avoiding tobacco and drugs, always be aware of your surroundings, wearing seat belts, protecting yourself from sexually transmitted infections, protecting your skin, getting a regular check-up and always seeking help in case of illness or injury. ENDS