Introduction
Health care is one of the major concern topics for Botswana government to solve for it is citizens. They have started looking to effect and solution to improve their healthy living since last decade (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2013). It is clear to tell there are main diseases in Botswana, which are AIDS, malnutrition, tuberculosis and cancer (BBC, 2013). Good thoughts and solution should be taken to fight against them as well as to organize the problems very well. In this essay reasons and effects will be discussed
Description of the problem of diseases in Botswana
Health in general and, HIV/AIDS and Cancer in particular are the nightmare that has been imposing impact on economic and social fronts of citizens in Botswana. Cancer and HIV/AIDs are considered as the main diseases that are affecting many lives in Botswana. According to the Botswana National Cancer Registry, over 14,000 cases of cancers has been reported between 1998 and 2012, 28 percent have succumbed to the disease during the stated period. Among the reported cases, mortality is higher in male by 53 percent while women constitute 47 percent. However, the most affected are female with 55 percent compared to male 45 percent.
On the other hand, Botswana has been invaded by the terror of HIV/AIDs. In 2009, it was reported that the epidemic have reached an estimation of 300,000 adults living with HIV/AIDs. Considering a population of 2 million, then disease was considered to have reached the disturbing proportions. The country was thus ranked second with the highest adult prevalence among fifteen to nineteen years old of 28.8%. According to Kogod School of Business, (2011), in Botswana one in six people is affected with HIV virus. The impact of the epidemic has been broad, ranging from reduced population growth and life expectancy to an increased number of orphans. Cancer and HIV/AIDs among other diseases have been considered as a vital problem that is pulling back the cultural, social, economic and political progress in Botswana (BBC, 2013).
Four main causes of the problem and challenges
Lack of awareness
One of the main causes of the vigorous diseases in Botswana is the lack of awareness to the population in Botswana. The country lacks comprehensive and systematic approach to create awareness by providing relevant information that would help to liberate Botswana people from this problem. Cancer and HIV/AIDs in particular are diseases that take a long period to manifest, therefore, the health sector need to prevent them or intervene as early as possible. For instance, 40% of cancers can be prevented at early stage but the research indicates that the large population in Botswana is diagnosed at early stages of cancer, which is also common to HIV/AIDs. Although there is the use of the TeachAIDS prevention software, there are yet more challenges to since the software is only applied by the literates. It is also observed that despite the efforts of the health sector to provide condom distribution and education, it is indicated that 46 percent with multiple partners do not use condoms during sex.
Poverty
HIV/AIDs and Cancer, and other communicable diseases are highly linked with poverty. According to the report provided by the United Nations Development Program, 22.9 percent of Botswana’s population lives below the minimum threshold level considering each dimension of the human development index (The World Bank, 2013). Therefore, the relationship between poverty and the problem is evident in the rural areas where the poverty is more experienced. As a result of poverty, people lack more time and money to visit medical facilities for diagnosis and test. For example, most people in the rural areas argue that spending time in health facilities reduces their productivity hence high health costs. Most people living in poverty also engage in commercial sex work to earn living which consequently accelerates the chances of contradicting HIV virus.
Lack of effective policy and programs to curb the problem
Despite the challenging impacts that are associated with diseases, Botswana has not formulated effective policies and programs that are able to address the problem holistically. Despite the increasing number of HIV/AIDs patients in the country that had resulted to limited health facilities, the ministry of health has not put effective policies and programs to expand the health facilities. For instance, the country has not established an effective national cancer control program.
Myths
There has been revolving myths in Botswana concerning the two common diseases in Botswana and Africa in general. This myth highly influences the spread of these diseases in various ways. For example, many people hold a belief that the use of the condom is an idea coming from the West aiming to control the population of Africa. As a result many partners end up having sexual intercourse without the use of the condoms. On the other hand, many people in Botswana and in Africa in general believe that cancer is a disease that is associated with the rich, elderly and people from developed countries. The truth on the ground is that 70 percent of the cancer death in the world is experienced in the low and middle income countries.
Effects of HIV/AIDs and cancer on individuals, families, country and society
The impact of HIV/AIDs and cancer on the macroeconomic environment takes two perspectives: direct and indirect costs. Direct costs refer to the cost of treatment associated with cancer and HIV/AIDs related illness. This has serious implications for not only the health care budgets but also the overall economic status of the individual and his family. The government as well as the community incurs a lot of costs as they strive to treatment people who have the diseases. The ministry of health in Botswana estimates that it uses $ 30 each year for each person infected with AIDs and $ 19 for those affected with cancer (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2013). Indirect cost refers to loss of value of production, loss of current wages, training of new staffs, loss of the present value of future earnings, higher recruitment cost, drainage of savings and cost of absenteeism. The higher medical costs adversely impacts on the poverty stricken segments of the population in Botswana.
The government ends up using money that was meant for other meaningful development projects to cure the disease. This leads to higher expenditures on health services. The general productivity of the labor force deteriorates and most sectors such as the agricultural sector lacks energetic people who can participate in production. For instance it is approximated that by 2020 Botswana will have lost 23.2% of its agricultural labor force (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2013). If this happens, the country will be unable to feed its population and might result to seeking relief food from agencies such as WFP. Individuals spend up most of their savings on treatment and the general economic status of their families also deteriorates.
The national GDP will decrease. The projected economic growth rates in Botswana will be stunted by HIV/AIDs and cancer pandemic. The decrease in economic growth is due in part to decrease in demand through deaths and a decrease in productivity and output due to sick and dying workers. Families living with AIDS are in debt, spending more money than they make (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2013).
Once an individual knows that they have HIV/AIDs or cancer, it actually affects them psychologically. Their self-esteem is lowered and may actually feel that they are not worthy living and should be removed from the rest of the society. Cancer treatment is said to reduce the rate of fertility. Chemotherapy drugs reduce fertility by 80% while radiation near the reproductive system is highly perilous (BOTSWANA, 2013).
When parents and family members fall ill, children are left with more responsibility to produce food, earn an income and provide care to the ailing family members. It becomes extremely difficult for these children to access basic health care, adequate nutrition and other basic needs. The young members of the society drop out of schools due to lack of fees and other necessities and they end up engaging in criminal activities so as to earn their daily bread. These increases the crime rates in the streets of major cities in Botswana.
Recommendations
The government should undertake the following in order to curb the challenges that are currently facing Botswana:
- The government should provide financial assistance to the deprived people so that they can start feasible economic projects. It should also lower the cost of living so that those infected by HIV or cancer can find it easy to survive in the highly competitive economy.
- Government should frame and implement strict policies against prostitution and other social derelictions.
- Should educate the masses on how to evade contacting the diseases and make them believe that the pandemics.
Conclusion
It is evident that the problem of the diseases in Botswana is enhanced by the failure of the Botswana health sector to educate and put effective program and measures into place to address the situation. The problem is also enhanced by the fact that there are inadequate early preventive measures and vaccinations of diseases such as cancer. The government should also be in a position to eradicate the mentality and myths regarding diseases through supportive educational policies and programs.
References
BBC News | AFRICA | Botswana plans HIV disclosure law. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2013, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/876337.stm
BOTSWANA: HIV-positive Mothers Not Convinced to Exclusively Breastfeed — Global Issues. (2013, July 27). Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/news/2010/09/01/6808
Encyclopedia of the Nation’s. Health - Botswana - average, power. (n.d.). Retrieved July 27, 2013, from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Botswana-HEALTH.html
Kogod School of Business (n.d.). Merck Chairman Richard Clark Talks Corporate Responsibility | American University Washington DC. (2011, April 4). Retrieved from http://www.american.edu/kogod/news/20110324_ksb_richard_clark.cfm
The World Bank (n.d.). Botswana. Retrieved July 27, 2013, from http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/botswana
