Martin Endjala
The Executive Director of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Ben Nangombe has reiterated that the best measure to curb the outbreak of scabies is by practising good hygiene at all times while ensuring that clothes and blankets are washed and hung to dry outside to be exposed to the sun.
Nangombe was responding to a question posed to him in the wake of the recent State of the Regional Address of the Ohangwena region, in which Governor Walde Ndevashiya revealed that the region is still battling scabies.
Ndevashiya said this is attributed to the rising number of reported cases, with 5 484 cases recorded since the beginning of January.
He told this publication yesterday that during the peak of the outbreak, the ministry has been advocating good hygiene practices and isolation after visiting the nearest health facility to receive treatment.
Nangombe said that the scabies outbreak in the Ohangwena region is still being closely monitored and interventions have already been deployed to assist the affected areas.
He noted that recent flash floods in the region might also have played a role because of the fact that homesteads had to be moved to higher ground where many people had to stay in one space.
He said that it is very worrisome to see a continuous increase in cases in the region, despite the fact that scabies is treatable.
He also urged residents to heed the call by the health ministry to follow existing preventative measures to curb the spread of the disease.
Nangombe stressed that prevention does work because the number of cases was managed since the outbreak started.
“Collaboration by members of the community to heed the call to use preventative measures can put an end to the outbreak just like the recent declaration of the end of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever.
During the period under review, the Regional Health Directorate made great progress with the construction of two Primary Health Care Clinics, Onanghulo and Onamafila in Ohangwena and Oshikunde Constituencies respectively.
The tender for Onanghulo Clinic, which was abandoned by the Contractor, has been advertised and construction work is expected to commence after the new Contractor has been appointed.
Onamafila Clinic is still under construction and will be completed during the 2023/2024 financial year. As was reported in the 2022/2023 State of the Region Address, two more Primary Health Clinics are approved for construction at Elundu/Ohenghono and Oshuuli in Omundaungilo and Oshikunde Constituencies, respectively. The construction will start as soon as funds become available.
Furthermore, the region’s priority is to build eight health facilities in areas such as the Okanaimbula and Ohamikoka in Epembe Constituency; Ombudiya, Oshalumbu, and Oshitishiwa-shaHaihonya in Okongo Constituency; Onamahoka in Omulonga Constituency; and Onambaladi and Oluwaya in Oshikunde Constituency.
This comes after residents in the region expressed dismay with the fact that they have to travel long distances to acquire medical attention.
The construction of new health facilities will go a long way in curbing and bringing an end to the infestation.
Ohangwena is one of the regions that are the hardest hit by a shortage of water supply despite having an abundant underground water resource. The eastern parts of the region are the worst off.
As a result, the Namibia Water Corporation Ltd (NamWater) is implementing three Bulk Water Supply Projects in the Region.
