UB School of Nursing Educates Motswedi JSS Students on the Importance of Brain Health
The University of Botswana (UB) School of Nursing conducted a workshop on the 14th of March 2025, at Motswedi Junior Secondary School to educate students on the significance of maintaining a healthy brain and mind.
Held under the theme “A Healthy Brain – A Healthy Mind for Education”, the workshop was part of the Global Brain Awareness Week Campaign aimed at increasing public understanding of the benefits of brain research.
Addressing the students, Oncology and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, Dr Norman Carl Swart, explained that brain health was crucial for overall well-being. He said the brain played a fundamental role in cognitive function, emotional regulation and social interaction, affecting learning, memory, decision-making and physical health. He urged students to prioritise brain health, warning that brain damage could lead to severe consequences such as dementia, epilepsy, brain cancer and learning difficulties.
a Senior Lecturer and Emergency Nurse Specialist, Dr Mamalelala Tebogo, cautioned students against alcohol and drug abuse, highlighting their detrimental effects on brain function and overall well-being. Echoing the same sentiments, an Environmental Health Science Lecturer, Professor Wilfred Nunu, stressed that substance abuse not only increased the risk of brain damage but also led to risky sexual behaviour, poor hygiene, criminal activities and an uncertain future.
Adding to the discussion, Clinical Anatomist, Dr Sodiq Lawal, explained that the brain was a delicate and essential organ of the nervous system, working in tandem with the spinal cord to form the central nervous system.
To give students a practical understanding, Ms Lindsay Thebe, a Psychometric Technician and Research Assistant, used brain models to demonstrate its functions and the impact of diseases on brain health. She highlighted neurodegeneration, the decline and death of nerve cells, as a leading cause of brain diseases, affecting mental and bodily functions.
Ms Thebe further advised students to eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, manage stress, get sufficient sleep and protect their heads from injury to maintain optimal brain health.