Francistown registers sharp rise in lifestyle diseases
Pini Bothoko | Monday September 7, 2026 08:58
It identifies hypertension as the most dominant in the city, accounting for more than two-thirds of all documented NCD cases during the reporting period. Hypertension cases increased sharply from 239 in the previous quarter to 616 cases in the first quarter of the year, representing an increase of 377 cases.
The city council attributed the growing burden of NCDs largely to lifestyle-related behaviours. These include tobacco use, unhealthy diets, consumption of energy drinks, and ultra-processed foods high in sugar, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol use.
The report noted that lack of regular physical activity can reduce cardiovascular efficiency, whilst excessive alcohol consumption can damage vital organs such as the liver.
Diabetes cases also increased significantly, rising from 15 in the previous quarter to 54 cases, which is an increase of 39 cases. Asthma cases similarly recorded a sharp rise from 83 to 248 cases, representing an increase of 165 cases during the first quarter. The council officials said the rising disease burden is occurring against a backdrop of severe shortages of health personnel across all cadres, which continue to affect service delivery.
According to the report, primary healthcare facilities have 104 personnel, including 36 medical officers, 22 doctors, nine pharmacists, and three laboratory scientists, but continue to experience shortages.
Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital also faces staffing gaps despite having 15 specialists, 65 medical officers, two physiotherapists, 506 nurses, and eight radiographers. The city, however, has received additional support from international medical teams.
The 17th China medical team, comprising 14 medical doctors and six nurses, left Botswana on July 4, 2026, after completing its clinical duties on June 18.
The 18th China medical team arrived on June 28, comprising 14 medical specialists and five specialist nurses. The Cuban Medical Corps, consisting of 19 medical specialists, also had their contracts extended by another year, although two members opted out. Meanwhile, STIs remain a concern in the city. The report shows that cases increased from 2,939 in the previous quarter to 2,991, an increase of 52 cases. The council linked the trend to low condom usage.
Teenage pregnancy also remains a challenge in the district, prompting the city to continue working with teachers and parents through awareness talks and empowerment programmes aimed at addressing the problem.On a positive note, the report recorded a dramatic decline in indiscipline cases in the city's secondary schools.The council attributed the improvement partly to a workshop organised for heads of departments (HoD) during the previous quarter, where mitigation measures to address rising indiscipline were discussed.
The intervention appears to have yielded positive results, with indiscipline cases dropping from 467 in Term Three to 41 cases in the first term, which is a 91.4% decrease.The council said the development demonstrates the importance of targeted interventions and collaboration between schools, parents and other stakeholders in addressing challenges affecting learners.