Social Service Responses to COVID-19 in Botswana: Lessons for Disaster Risk Reduction in Public Health Crises
Morena J. Rankopo
University of Botswana, Botswana.
Kgosietsile Maripe *
University of Botswana, Botswana.
Kabo Diraditsile
Waseda University, Japan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
It is now common knowledge that following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, the World Health Organisation declared it a pandemic after many people were infected and a significant proportion had succumbed to the disease. This article aims to analyse the role and effectiveness of social work interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Botswana. The disease spread massively across the world within a short period of time. Governments had to engage their disaster risk management structures to combat the pandemic. This review was conducted during the month of July and early August 2020 and generated 450 abstracts of documents written in English. Social work is one of the professions at the frontline of disaster preparedness and response to ensure that the well-being of the citizens and non-citizens is not adversely affected by the COVID-19 virus. The disease halted the social movements of people, resulting in the shutdown of all economic entities except for specified essential services operating with skeletal personnel. The majority of Batswana rely on livelihood sources in the informal sector in urban areas and subsistence agricultural farming in communal areas. These have been grossly affected by the State of Emergency regulations. The article examines social work response to COVID-19 in Botswana in terms of the social protection measures put in place to address the crisis faced by vulnerable populations, ethical challenges facing social workers, management of gender based violence in the home, treatment of unofficial /illegal migrants, and the effectiveness of disaster risk reduction systems. Further, the article will reflect on public perceptions of the role of social workers in Botswana. Also, treatment of people suspected or confirmed to have the COVID-19 disease has led to public outbursts and stigma. The document concludes that strengthening social service capacity is vital for future disaster preparedness and public health response.
Keywords: Covid-19, stigma, social work, social protection, Botswana, public health emergencies