Namibia’s rising malaria crisis linked to cross-border infections – health ministry

The Ministry of Health and Social Services says the rising number of malaria cases in Namibia is due to people who got infected outside the country’s borders and entered Namibia seeking treatment.

Executive director of health and social services Ben Nangombe says by 19 January, the country recorded about 3 000 cases, making up 58% of all cases, and the remaining 42% (1 465) comprise individuals who have crossed the border.

He was speaking to Desert FM on Monday.

This comes after the ministry said it recorded 5 898 malaria cases, including 840 hospital admissions and 28 deaths, between December last year and 19 January.

“Many of the cases we are reporting are imported from elsewhere, mainly from Angola . . ,” he said.

Nangombe called on the public to allow the ministry’s healthcare teams to conduct residual spraying in their homes to reduce the population of mosquitoes.

He said people should visit their nearest hospital as soon as they present with any malaria symptoms.

“If you wait until you become sicker, that may lead to the loss of life, unfortunately,” Nangombe said.

He said the ministry has approached the National Disaster Risk Management Committee, chaired by the secretary of Cabiner, to bring other offices, ministries and agencies, as well as development cooperation partners, on board.

“We are, for example, engaging the Ministry of Defence to make nurses and doctors available to come and help us out. We are engaging the Office of the Prime Minister, should this become necessary, for us to perhaps temporarily use the tents that are used for flooding victims,” Nangombe said.

He said 20 out of 26 malaria-endemic districts are currently experiencing outbreaks.

The most affected districts include Engela and Eenhana in the Ohangwena region, Okongo in the Ohangwena region, Nkurenkuru in the Kavango West
region, and Outapi in the Omusati region.