Africa-Press – Botswana. The daily hectic chores have been identified as some of the factors that deter pupils from taking care of their health.
“We are faced with daily challenges that fail us to take good care of ourselves, thus encumbering us from eating healthily and exercising, which then lead to the development of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as high blood pressure, sugar diabetes and cancer,” thus observed acting principal nursing officer- Primary Health Care for the Kgatleng District.
Ms Josephine Baffoe was addressing pupils at a health expo that Kgatleng Primary Health Care hosted at Tlhaakgame Primary School in Bokaa on Friday.
The purpose of the expo, whose theme was: Stay Alive, Prioritise Your Health, was to promote the use of the School Health Programme by encouraging pupils to actively invest in their health.
“This event signifies the commitment of all in Tlhaakgame Primary School and various stakeholders and challenges everyone to take part in preventing various diseases so as to lead a good life.
Ms Baffoe told the pupils that anyone at any age ran the risk of being infected with NCDs, however adding that, ‘if we follow the School Health Programme through such practices as healthy dieting, ensuring cleanliness, good relations and learning more about health issues as well as physical exercises.
She reminded the school community that good health aided progressive studying as a healthy mind tended to concentrate more in class.
“For you to eat healthy diets and exercise your bodies whilst still young is a good investment because you are the future of this country, the leaders of tomorrow therefore,” said Ms Baffoe.
Ms Baffoe said pupils could take short walks, jog, play traditional games such as skipping rope, train game, hide and seek and biking around the compound, emphasising that they should, by all means, avoid the road as they could endanger their lives.
“I challenge you to invest in your health as well as the lives of your family members. Let us start with self-love and taking care of yourselves,” said Ms Baffoe, also encouraging pupils to eat traditional food such bean leaf relish and sorghum, which she said were abound with necessary nutrients unlike junk food and or cut-rate crispy snacks.
Alongside the key note speech were several presentations from various sectors such as the police narcotics unit, Gender-based Violence, oral health and eye health service units.
For his part, the councillor for Bokaa North, Mr Victor Serojane said the lessons learnt at the event were so good and relevant that he wished parents could have been invited to get the messages clearly, looking at the presentation on drug abuse part.
Mr Serojane said it was a pity that those who were fully engaged in drug businesses well as those who sell drugs to the pupils were not in attendance, lamenting that some elders used children to sell drugs on their behalf at school.
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