Africa-Press – Botswana. Men have been implored to make their health a priority.
Speaking at Pitso ya Borre in Serowe on Wednesday, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Mabuse Pule appealed to men to jealously guard their health. Mr Pule also advised men to focus on early testing and screening for all health conditions, adhere to treatment and medical advice, follow healthy diet, rest, exercise regular and know their HIV status.
The objective of the event, which was hosted by Botswana Faith Based Organisations Network on HIV/AIDS and Health Promotion was to engage with men and boys to dialogue on issues of values, health and social ills.
Mr Pule said reports from the National AIDS and Health Promotion Agency (NAHPA) and the Ministry of Health indicate that men approached health services with so much diffidence, stressing, ‘our uptake of health services such as HIV testing, Anti- Retroviral treatment enrolment, voluntary medical male circumcision, screening for cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure is very low.
He said the despondency could invariably lead to numerous health challenges and could have a telling effect on the quality of life.
“Our families and communities expect to be served by healthy men,” he said, adding, ‘our health is our wealth’.
The assistant minister warned men to guard against risky behaviour, lifestyles and tendencies including smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, multiple concurrent sexual partnerships, overworking and inadequate rest as well as reckless driving.
He said it was gratifying that the faith communities’ initiative programme, which focuses on reaching out to men and boys and said the initiative was crucial to the sustained battle against gender- based violence.
Mr Pule said faith-based organisations’ unwavering commitment to augmenting government efforts to tackling health challenges and social ills was a testament to a proper multi-sectoral approach to social development and worthy of adulation.
He applauded bogosi, baruti, and the development partners including UNAIDS for collaborating with NAHPA, BOFABONETHA and Men and Boys for Gender Equality on the crusade, saying his ministry was committed to continuing working with them to confront the challenges.
“We all need to recreate our society and raise a new generation of boys, young men and men who will rise to the occasion and become torch bearers in society, community and family set up,” he said.
Acting Bangwato regent, Kgosi Serogola Seretse said men should go back to their roles as protectors of their families and society.
He said as the main perpetrators of the rising figures of gender-based violence, men should take the lead in speaking out against and reporting such cases.
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