On Friday, the Hon. Dr. Esperance Luvindao updated the nation on Namibia’s current public health events: the Measles outbreak, the Mpox outbreak, the Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever outbreak, the Cholera outbreak, the start of the Malaria season, and a recent Polio event. She emphasized that surveillance remains strong, health teams are active, and vaccination campaigns are underway.
Namibia has recorded 198 confirmed measles cases and 2 deaths, with mass vaccination and ongoing health education in progress. Mpox remains contained, with the two previously confirmed cases now discharged and no new cases reported, highlighting the effective work of the Ministry’s teams and partners. CCHF resulted in one fatal case, and contacts are being actively monitored. The cholera outbreak is currently localised to Grootfontein, where three positive cases have been identified, and intensive health education in native languages is underway. The polio virus, linked to Angola, was detected in Rundu sewage, but no human cases have been detected. Intensive vaccination strategies and health education are being rolled out across the country to avoid a polio outbreak.
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The Minister urges parents to vaccinate their children against polio and measles, families to report any sudden paralysis in children, households to cooperate with indoor residual spraying for malaria, and communities to practise proper hygiene and sanitation. She further encourages the public to be alert for suspicious rashes or skin lesions, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and other key signs and symptoms of the diseases mentioned. The Minister also advises avoiding contact with animal blood and ensuring tick prophylaxis for animals to avoid contracting Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, which is difficult to contract, but has a high death rate once contracted.
The Executive Director emphasized that these early detections, along with other interventions, demonstrate that the Namibian public health system is well functioning, because early detection allows for early action.
“Together, through vigilance, vaccination, proper hygiene and sanitation and robust response systems, Namibia will overcome these challenges” concluded the Minister.
