27 Jan 2025

Botswana Network for Mental Health on Saturday joined forces with other stakeholders to tackle Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which have now become interwoven with mental health challenges and  are fuelling Gender-Based Violence(GBV).

The Botswana Network for Mental Health roped in fashion designers, whom they believe were an effective bloc within the community.

The event hosted at the Old Apostolic Church at Nkoyaphiri Ward in Mogoditshane East was held under the theme: Fashion Up Health and Wellbeing in the Design,’ which drew correlation between NCDs and mental health.

Member of Parliament for Mogoditshane East, Mr Letlhogonolo Barongwang said the theme encouraged the public not to view health as an afterthought but an essential element of life.

“The theme reminds us that taking care of our physical and mental health is intertwined and important to our day to day life,” he said.  

He said statistics cast a somber light on the state of mental health in Botswana as the 2023 World Review Report listed the country among those with the highest number of suicide rates in the SADC region. The reports indicated that male suicide rate were four times higher than those of female.

He said these numbers highlighted a critical need to address a mental health across all sectors of the society.  Mr Barongwang further noted that the burden of NCDs continued to weigh heavily on the country.

According to the World Health Organisation, NCDs accounted for 46 per cent of deaths in Botswana 2019.

“As we discuss health and wellbeing we must also confront the devastating crisis that continue to play in our community, GBV,” said Mr Barongwang.

 In recent months, he said, Botswana had seen a disturbing rise in GBV cases.

MP Barongwang also said a report indicated that between December 19, 2024 and January 2, barely two weeks, 93 cases of rape and 10 cases of murder of women were recorded accounting to the 61 per cent of reported offences during that period.

GBV is not just only a violation of human rights but a public health emergency, it undermines the physical and mental health of a victim and disrupts families and fracture communities, revealed Mr Barongwang.

Furthermore, he said, addressing the problem required a multi-faceted approach noting that an event of this kind was a platform that provided opportunity to educate and engage the community on the impact of GBV.

He said Mogoditshane Police Station had a special unit that deals with GBV cases and said the law allowed for a special dispensation where a victim has the right to proceed to the magistrates without having to go to the police first.

Another approach he mentioned was strengthening of the support systems for victims.

Botswana Network for Mental Health Executive Director, Ms Charity Kennedy, shared with the delegates, her journey with depression.

“Fifteen years ago I was diagnosed with major depression therefore I understand how it feels. Our wish is to empower fashion designers to be able to disseminate messages on NCDs and GBV,” she said. When welcoming guests, Kgosi Keabetswe Dihutso of Mogoditshane urged the public to screen for NCDs. He said it was an individual’s responsibility to take action. ENDS