Namibia News

Doctor Elia, a male vicenarian, breathes with ease while reciting his account to staff from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in November 2020 at Walvis Bay, Namibia.

Despite being racked with pain from a piercing headache, labored breathing, a sore throat, along with high fever - all symptoms of the Coronavirus infection - Doctor Elia appears content and has a positive attitude amidst the pandemic.

Health emergencies including the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic highlighted weaknesses in countries’ emergency preparedness and response.  COVID-19 adversely affected socio- economic status of countries  and  had disastrous human consequences. It compelled the world to look at population health as a cause and consequence of sustainable development.

Contact tracing is looked upon as the bridge between lockdown and the COVID-19 vaccine, allowing the Namibian government to identify clusters of infections and, to stop people from passing on the virus. Without an effective system, health researchers have warned that public places, such as recreation zones, are not able to safely reopen and continue general practice.
 

Ndilimeke Mutikisha, a Regional Environmental Health Practitioner for the Otjozondjupa Health Directorate under Public and Environmental Health services, is in massive awe of contact tracing workers who are keeping people going amid the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  Mutikisha, who also serves as the National Head of Contact Tracing for COVID-19 in Windhoek, is impressed with the work that those in key jobs are doing to help save lives and provide people with essentials during the current global health crisis.

The Namibian government renewed its efforts in containing the Hepatitis E Virus (HEV), which was declared as an outbreak since 14 December 2017. To this end,  the “Improving the national preparedness and response capacity to contain infectious disease outbreaks and other drought related public heath events in Namibia”  project worth close to four million Namibian dollars was launched by the Embassy of Japan,  the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) at a ceremony held at the Namibian COVID-19 Communication Centre on 13 August 2020.

With contemporary times calling them disease detectives, epidemiologists play a central role in investigating patterns and causes of disease in humans. “In the context of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), as epidemiologists our focus lies in reducing the risk and occurrence  of negative health outcomes through research, community education and health policy”, says Hilary Kagume Njenge, a Kenyan epidemiologist employed by the World Health Organisation emergency hub for east and southern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. 

Current situation 
Namibia reported its first confirmed COVID-19 cases on 13 March 2020 and the Ministry declared the COVID-19 outbreak on 14 March 2020. Since then (as of 6 July 2020) Namibia has had several hundred sporadic cases (539 confirmed) and no recorded deaths. Until recently (the last two weeks), most (approximately 87%) of the confirmed cases have been found in travelers entering the country held in routine quarantine facilities. 

25 June 2020.   Namibia COVID-19 cases increased from 32 to 90 in a week and a half’s time after a quiet period of about 45 days without a case.  Approximately 60 % of the new reported cases are from Walvis bay in the Erongo Region, the only region reporting a cluster transmission to date.  Due to the ongoing transmission of COVID-19 cases in the towns of Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Arandis,  they were put under Stage Three with some restrictions while the rest