Renamed NACA broadens mandate

Kebone Laetsang | Thursday April 4, 2019 10:32

Also HIV prevention programmes and campaign-related interventions for Non-communicable Disease (NCDs) will move to NACA for effective coordination and efficient delivery of services.

 

NACA, which has also been renamed National Aids and Health Promotion Agency (NAHPA), is changing its mandate. 

In that way, it has expanded to also include the health promotion and prevention components of NCDs through existing multi-sectoral systems and structures to address these public health issues.

Public relations officer, Tachenama Poiso stated that NAHPA would not only be responsible for coordinating national response to HIV/AIDS, but it would also direct national response to NCDs too. 

“That is, developing policies and programmes that would influence the shift on reducing the burden of NCDs in Botswana,” Poiso said. 

Furthermore, he outlined that being at MoPAGPA gives NAHPA the necessary autonomy posture in decision making since the National Coordinator would account directly to the committee of supply allocated by Parliament. 

“The NCDs are being transferred with what they have been allocated at the MoHW though the budget has never been adequate,” Poiso said. 

“The advantage it would have however from this transfer is that, we would leverage from partnerships we have with the development partners to seek support on financing NCDs responses in the country.” 

Poiso added that they will be working on integrating the services of two disease burdens, the quick wins would be programming for behaviour change required for healthy living, policies to regulate food consumption in Botswana would also be considered with proper consultations with relevant stakeholders. 

Moreover, NACA will put focus on cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes whose modifiable risk factors include excessive alcohol intake, tobacco use, diet and physical inactivity to its original HIV and AIDS mandate. 

The agency made a return from the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) with effect from (Monday) April 1 through a presidential Directive of November 2018.