- The district is experiencing a rise in cases of drug abuse especially by youth
- Statistics reveals that from 2024 drug related admission went up to 21%
- Key drug abuse hot spots areas within Maun include, Sanyedi, Kgosing, Sedie, Boseja, and Moeti
- The most commonly abused substances include alcohol, CAT, and marijuana
Ngamiland is facing a growing drug crisis, particularly among its youth, with alarming consequences for both the public and the healthcare system, with males being affected the most.
Recent statistics from 2024 reveals that drug related admission where up to 21% in the North West Region alone. According to Dr. Sandra Maripe, coordinator of the Ngami District Health Management Team (DHMT), drug-related cases have been steadily increasing in the district.
“We do not have a compilation of drug abuse related cases in the North West district. However, like elsewhere across the country, the North West District has been experiencing many cases of drug abuse, especially by young people. Unfortunately, as you say, in some cases the abuse affects the health of the user,” said Maripe.
In 2024 alone, drug-related cases accounted for 21% of total admissions at Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital, 265 out of 2,060 cases, translating to 1 in 5 patients admitted. The numbers highlight the strain substance abuse places on the region’s health facilities. The most affected demographic ranges between ages 13 and 40, with males being the most vulnerable group.
The DHMT coordinator identified key drug abuse hot spots within Maun, particularly the wards of Sanyedi, Kgosing, Sedie, Boseja, and Moeti. “Kgosing and Sanyedi are the leading wards,” she stated.
The most commonly abused substances include alcohol, CAT, and marijuana. These substances contribute to a host of serious health issues including chronic liver and kidney diseases, depression, schizophrenia.
While some instances the intake of some of these substances can lead to social issues such as gender-based violence (GBV), and increased assaults, which not only affect the consumer but the community as well.
“The impact on health services includes an increase in readmissions, overwhelmed staff because of shortage, over populated psychiatric ward, and shortage of resources,” explained Maripe.
To put it into perspective, the strain of rising drug-related admissions is even more severe considering that there is only one psychiatrist stationed at Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital—the only one serving the entire North West Region. As the primary healthcare provider for addiction treatment, this lone specialist is responsible for managing all psychiatric evaluations, diagnoses, and treatment plans for patients suffering from substance use and related mental health disorders.
The overwhelming number of cases 265 drug-related admissions in 2024 alone—places immense pressure on this individual, increasing the risk of burnout and reducing the psychiatrics’ capacity to provide in-depth, personalized care.
The shortage hampers the effectiveness of existing interventions and undermines efforts to reduce drug dependency in the region. This situation underscores the urgent need to train and deploy more psychiatric professionals, invest in outpatient addiction services at the clinic level, and decentralize mental health support to make it more accessible to communities in need.
To combat this crisis, the DHMT has implemented several interventions such as youth-friendly services clinics, psychoeducation in schools and clinics, and collaborations with key stakeholders like ACHAP, Women Against Rape (WAR), and Red Cross Botswana.
“As DHMT, whenever we have an opportunity at public gatherings like kgotla meetings and other community events, we do advise the youth against alcohol and drug abuse,” she said.
However, efforts to address the issue are hampered by a range of challenges, including limited resources, lack of rehabilitation facilities, and the easy availability of drugs in communities.
Dr. Maripe emphasized the need for a more robust, multi-sectoral approach and put forward several recommendations: “Investing in rehabilitation services, securing government funding to support effective combat drug abuse, training of more psychiatric nurses, psychologists and social workers, more counsellors to be hired in schools and departments, community leaders to be more involved in mental health collaborations, and deployment of psychiatric nurses in local clinics to offer outpatient services.”
With coordinated action and community involvement, health officials hope to curb the alarming trend and build a healthier future for the region’s youth.
