Barely six months after the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that a Motswana has a 27.4% chance of dying from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) between the ages of 30 and 70, a new report shows that NCDs are on the rise in Botswana, primarily affecting the middle-aged and elderly population, many of whom are of working age.
According to the report, the percentage distribution of deaths from non-communicable illnesses by age and sex for 2020 is as follows: “The highest deaths were amongst those aged 65+ years (46.9%) followed by 55-64 years (19.2%) and those aged 45-54 years (12.9%). The lowest recorded deaths were in the 0-14 years age group”.
The annual publication titled: Botswana Causes of Mortality 2020 Health Facility Mortality Data, notes that pattern suggests an epidemiological transition, with fatalities from non-communicable diseases outnumbering other groups.
“In the past four years (2017–2020), there has been a notable digression in the causes of death away from infectious diseases towards non-communicable diseases. Proportion of deaths due to communicable diseases (group(I) decreased from 47 percent (2017) to 37 percent (2020) while that of non-communicable diseases (Group(II) increased from 47 percent (2017) to 59 percent (2020),” states the report.
NCDs are diseases which by definition are non-infectious and cannot be passed from person to person. They include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and lung diseases. While over 80% of these diseases can be prevented or delayed into old age, Botswana has not been zealous to fight NCDs as much as it did HIV/AIDS.
An investment case, under the Task Force’s WHO-UNDP flagship programme, submitted two years ago indicated that NCDs are taking a toll on livelihoods and have had an unimaginable impact on human capital and productivity in Botswana.
According to preliminary findings given at the event, the government’s expenditure on NCD health care of P2.5 billion is simply the tip of the iceberg. “The indirect (hidden) costs from, premature mortality and lost productivity (absenteeism, presenteeism) are almost five times higher. In Botswana, the cost of presenteeism alone, US$ 226 million (BWP 2.6 billion) is 4% more than the total health expenditures on NCDs. Altogether, the economic cost of NCDs to the Botswana economy is US$ 1.2 billion (BWP 13.2 billion) per year, which is equivalent to 5.92% of the country’s annual gross domestic product,” reads part of the findings.
Among other things, the Statistics Botswana report notes that there were less deaths associated with NCDs in lower ages. “Deaths associated with Non- Communicable diseases increased as age increases,” states the report.
WHO set nine NCD targets to eradicate NCDs by 2025. Some of the targets include halting the rise in diabetes and obesity, a 30% relative reduction in prevalence of current tobacco use in persons aged 15+ years, a 10% relative reduction in prevalence of insufficient physical activity, a 25% decrease in mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), at least 10% relative reduction in the harmful use of alcohol, as appropriate, within the national context.
However a cursory look at statistics reveals that Botswana is far from meeting the majority of the targets. The rising prevalence of NCDs is being attributed to an increase in risky behaviours such as tobacco use, excessive alcohol use, poor diets, and physical inactivity.
In an effort to combat physical inactivity in Botswana, the health minister, Dr. Edwin Dikoloti, is pushing people to walk at least 10,000 steps a day. While exercise may be difficult to fit into people’s hectic schedules, recent studies show that it may reduce the chance of dying prematurely.
