Census reveals Botswana�s social challenges

Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday May 5, 2014 12:50

 

The census findings indicate that up to 286,105 people live in one-roomed and two-roomed houses. Of the 167,126 Batswana residing in one-roomed houses, 85,366 or (51%) live in shacks while 50,629 or 30.29% live in one-room grass-thatched huts.

The census show that nationally, there is some degree of congestion in households and this poses many risks like the spread of airborne diseases.

In both urban and rural areas, households occupying one-room accommodation decreased with the enlargement of household size. Out of a total of 162,791 households occupying single rooms in urban areas, 17,428 (27.76 percent) had five or more people in one room. About 10.31 percent (4,266) of households in rural areas had five or more persons occupying one room.

The census shows that Botswana has alarming cases of acute diarrhea in children under and over five years old.

In 1998, there were 69,042 cases of acute diarrhea for over five year old people. The general trends show that acute diarrhea in children less than five years increased minimally between 1995 and 2003 while that in people over five years decreased slightly.

The census results reveal that diarrhea deaths, both for the under five years old and the over five years old cohorts continue to increase. From 1990, the highest number of deaths from diarrhea were witnessed in 2003. The diarrhea death rate per 100,000 of the population shows a rise during 1995 to 2003.

“This could indicate improved hygiene or other preventative measures, though coupled with increasing failures to cure or to successfully treat diarrhea. While less patients are suffering from diarrhea, the probability of those infected dying from it has increased,” the census report said.

Meanwhile the report shows that cancer cases were on the rise in Botswana in a 10-year period from 1998 to 2008. The peak was reached in 2007 when 1,402 cases were recorded. The years 2004, 2006, 2005 and 2003 followed at 1,366, 1,325, 1,314 and 1,244 respectively. The trend shows that there are increasing cancer cases in the country, the report said.