Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have taken their toll on the country and continues to overwhelm both public and private health sector says First Lady Neo Masisi.
Speaking at the BOMAIDs 53rd anniversary in Gaborone recently, Ms Masisi said a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), showed that NCDs contributed to 46 per cent of deaths in the country.
This is why NCDs are such a priority for me as I care about the well-being of all across our beautiful Botswana, she said.
She said the country was blessed to be able to offer inclusive and accessible healthcare, but the nations healthcare system remained burdened, and in some cases unnecessarily so.
Ms Masisi indicated that the most prevalent NCDs in the country included hypertension, heart diseases, type-two diabetes and several cancers.
She added that such diseases, as well as other NCDs, were largely exacerbated by unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, smoking and harmful use of alcohol and 95 per cent of Batswana were believed to eat unhealthy diets.
The future of Botswanas public health according to the African Development Bank (AfDB), is said to be a mixed bag in that while we face a lower overall disease burden, our incidence of NCDs will likely increase, she said.
Ms Masisi said AfDB also indicated that Botswana was in a category of 13 countries where between 2022 and 2030, NCDs would dominate the overall disease burden by 74 per cent while communicable diseases would decrease by 45 per cent.
Moreover, Ms Masisi said preliminary findings which were presented at an NCD investment case in 2021, suggested that the economic cost of NCDs to the countrys national economy was P13.2 billion per year, which was equivalent to 5.92 per cent of the national GDP.
The figure, she said had risen since 2021, with hidden costs from premature mortality and lost productivity at almost five times higher, with the cost of presenteeism alone being P2.6 billion, four per cent higher than the total health expenditures in NCDs.
It is for such reason that safeguarding the wellbeing, health and happiness of the nation at large in fighting the scourge is of paramount importance, she said.
She therefore congratulated BOMAID on the positive progress they had made over the years.
I commend the founding values and philosophy of a non-profit society model designed to create value and cater for the wellbeing of its members and above all I commend the way in which we have seen BOMAID step up during the COVID-19 pandemic and indeed ever since, she said.
For his part, BOMAID chief executive officer, Mr Moraki Mokgosana said building on its 53 year anniversary with tangible efforts towards supporting health and happiness, they strived to help change the narrative of a burdened healthcare system and rising healthcare ills across the country.
We aim to support wider country efforts in looking at healthcare through a more inclusive lens in order to ensure more sustainable wellbeing outcomes, Mr Mokgosana said.
The concerning NCD incidences, Mr Mokgosana said, along with the recognition that the drivers of NCDs were broad, highlighted the need for a multi-sectoral and concerted national response.
This calls for us to work together and supplement our governments efforts towards changing the narrative towards a healthier and more productive country, he said. Moreover, he said BOMAID had embarked on a new strategic path which was premised on providing proactive and preventative healthcare solutions as they strived to support governments efforts in reducing the burden of NCDs. As such, Mr Mokgosana said they had aligned their course and moved to play a proactive role.
Our new strategic path is underpinned by improving member wellness, fund sustainability and operational excellence, he said.
