High rates of depression uncovered in Gaborone
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Wednesday December 3, 2025 06:00
The city’s mayor, Oarabile Motlaleng, said during a full council meeting on Monday that the strengthened efforts are beginning to reveal critical insights into the well-being of residents.
He reported that screenings have so far reached 351 people, with 52% found to have mild to moderate depression. A further 25.6% presented with severe depression, indicating that at least four clients showed significant depressive symptoms requiring urgent attention.
“These results highlight both the scale of mental-health needs in Gaborone and the urgency of sustaining targeted interventions,” he said. The mayor noted that tuberculosis (TB) cases are on the increase, reporting that for Quarter 2, 58 cases were recorded compared to 36 cases in Quarter 1.
He added that the most common TB is the pulmonary type, which accounts for 86% of all cases.
“Pulmonary TB is a communicable disease; therefore, anyone experiencing TB-related signs and symptoms such as cough lasting more than two weeks, night sweats, loss of weight, and shortness of breath is urged to seek medical attention so that we can curb the spread of TB,” Motlaleng shared.
Motlaleng also reminded councillors of the commemoration of World AIDS Day. He said the day will be celebrated in Kanye under the theme ‘Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response’.
Motlaleng said the theme calls for innovative ideas to address the challenges of budgetary constraints in the fight against HIV/AIDS, encourages community involvement in the response to the epidemic, and reaffirms our commitment to ending stigma and discrimination.
Furthermore, he said the Gaborone District will not hold a formal event to commemorate the day as has been the norm, due to financial constraints. “However, all stakeholders are urged to commemorate World AIDS Day within their respective communities, departments, agencies, and civil society organisations using their own available resources. Let us join hands in the fight against this scourge,” Motlaleng said.