By Ndalimpinga Iita
WINDHOEK, April 25 (Xinhua) -- At Cuba zone in Havana informal settlement in the Namibian capital Windhoek, neighbors gathered at Hilma Shino's home, which is made of corrugated iron.
Community health volunteers were demonstrating to dwellers how to set-up a tippy-tap there.
The facility is made out of thin tree branches, two re-usable plastic bottle with water and soap. And, a foot lever for releasing water is added to it to reduce the chance for bacteria transmission as the dwellers touch only the soap.
As Namibia battles with the spread of Hepatitis-E, community health volunteers are educating dwellers in affected areas to eliminate the disease.
Community health volunteers distribute information materials, educate dwellers and aid in detecting early symptoms of infection.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services in November 2017 declared a Hepatitis-E outbreak, citing its origin from Namibia's capital Windhoek's informal settlements, including Havana and Goreangab.
The Namibian government together with development partners introduced a community-led total sanitation campaign to improve sanitation and health care.
Rakkel Shikongo, a community health volunteer with the program, said that they educate community members in affected areas about the disease and prevention measures.
"Our mission is to demonstrate and prevent infections through education and to exhibit best hygiene practices," she said Thursday.
Beating the epidemic, however, is a daunting task, according to Shikongo.
A lack of sanitation facilities, and water points that are situated far from residents, pose a challenge in the fight against Hepatitis-E as residents tend to draw away from good hygiene habits, Shikongo added.
Meanwhile, the community health workers source plastic containers that they distribute to help dwellers in the Moses Garoeb Constituency set up tippy-taps, to influence social, behavioral change and habits.
"The aim is to get sanitation right in the affected areas and promoting community-led total sanitation, mainly given that handwashing is the solution," Shikongo said.
Lilian Kahuika, the state epidemiologist in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, said that the involvement of volunteers aims to empower communities affected by the spread of the outbreak and set the path towards community-led total sanitation.
The outbreak is reported to have gone beyond what government expected.
"When the ministry declared the outbreak in 2017, we had nine confirmed cases," she said, adding currently, there are more than 4900 cases nationwide."
She called for robust efforts to educate dwellers.
The Windhoek municipality mayor, Muezee Kazapua, said that the provision of water and sanitation facilities remains a priority for the City of Windhoek so as to save lives and institute habitable environment for all.
Meanwhile, to complement interventions by the community health volunteers, the government joint with stakeholders also recently partnered with local Namibia Broadcasting Corporation to devise best strategies to disseminate information to the public about hepatitis.
"Under our mandate, the broadcaster can play a significant role in informing and help in assisting in spreading the message," said Stanley Similo, Director General of Namibia Broadcasting Corporation.
Bernard Haufiku, the health advisor to the presidency, said that about 24 field epidemiologist are also deployed in all affected communities countrywide, following the relaunch of the Hepatitis-E outbreak response campaign in March 2019 in Windhoek.
