*4.2.1 Early childhood*

Strategies intended to promote childhood health include under-five feeding, childhood immunisation and expanded programmes on immunisation, and school health programme.

*Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Botswana DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111974*


#### **Table 1.**

*Guiding principles of the Botswana National Health Policy.*

#### **4.3 Under five feeding and immunisation programme**

Botswana has put strategies in place to promote the health of children. The strategies include monitoring children's growth through local clinics and mobile stops nationwide. The services are offered by healthcare assistants under the guidance and supervision of the nurses. In addition, Botswana has a strong Integrated Management of Childhood Disorders (IMCI) programme that is implemented through the Child Health Care Division. Its aim is to reduce infant and children's mortality and promote development [22]. To achieve this, all the under-five children are expected to attend the clinics and are provided with monthly feeds under the feeding policy of the under-five. In addition, every child under five attends the child warfare clinics and receives free scheduled childhood immunisations. Furthermore, all those attending the clinic receive a package of essential feeds.

#### *4.3.1 School health*

The children enter primary education from 6 to 13 years, followed by secondary education from 14 to 17 years. The health promotion activities for these age groups are provided in schools and coordinated by the District Health Management Teams

throughout the country under the National School Health Policy and Manual of 1999, whose mandate is to promote the health and well-being of school-going children in Botswana. Botswana's significant school health providers are mainly nurses of different nursing specialities.
