Namibia intensifies flu vigilance

HEALTH workers will be stationed at Hosea Kutako International Airport from Friday to increase vigilance against a possible outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus.

The nurses and public health assistants will receive training tomorrow.This was decided at a meeting of the National Health Emergency Committee (NHEMC) yesterday.No cases of the new flu strain have been confirmed in Africa, but 31 suspected cases have been reported in 11 African countries, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).Globally, there have been 91 deaths and 12 950 laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in 46 countries.In Namibia, the WHO is providing 1 000 doses of the antiviral drug Tamiflu for the initial response in case an outbreak occurs.Government’s response team has finalised the necessary training manuals for health workers.All that remains to be done is to identify the workers who will be stationed at the airport and to work out duty rosters for them. This is expected to be done by the time the Emergency Committee meets again tomorrow morning.The health workers at the airport will hand out information sheets on the flu, answer any questions and handle travellers who show flu symptoms. The information sheets were printed yesterday and will be transported to various ports of entry by the Namibia Airports Company, Namport and the Customs department.The first training session for Chief Medical Officers and Principal Medical Officers from all 13 regions is set for Friday, and a second for next Wednesday. Medical personnel from the private sector, health information officials and medical surveillance officers will also be included in the training exercises.Also on the training plan is a media workshop slated on Monday to inform journalists about the flu, provide them with an overview of action taken in Namibia’s response so far, and to sensitise them to their role in the case of an outbreak.Committee members also confirmed that the draft response plan is nearing completion, with the deadline for final comments on the draft set for this morning.It was confirmed that the first order of 20 000 units of Tamiflu was to arrive yesterday afternoon.nangula@namibian.com.na