Disease time bomb
A global health report has underlined the shocking conditions that Namibians are living in that expose them to a myriad of diseases.
As the country battles an ongoing hepatitis E epidemic, a global health report has shockingly revealed that 49% of Namibians are still defecating in the open, posing a serious health risk.
According to the new report by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), of the more than 2.5 million people living in Namibia only 35% had access to basic sanitation facilities by 2017.
This is a mere 7% increase from the turn of the century
According to the report 49% of the population was still defecating in the open in 2017. In 2000, 56% of Namibians were defecating in the open. In terms of rural areas, the report showed that by 2017 only 18% of Namibians had basic sanitation facilities and a massive 73% defecated in the open, compared to 2000 when 76% of rural Namibians were defecating in the open.
In urban areas 53% of the population had basic sanitation facilities and 23% defecated in the open, indicating an increase from 14% in 2000.
The 'Joint Monitoring Programme report, Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2000-2017: Special focus on inequalities' found that while significant progress has been made globally toward achieving universal access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene, there are huge gaps in the quality of services provided.
Some 2.2 billion people around the world do not have safely managed drinking water services, while 4.2 billion people do not have safely managed sanitation services and 3 billion lack basic hand-washing facilities.
Access to water
The report indicated that 83% of Namibians had access to basic drinking water services in 2017, an increase of 6% in coverage since 2000. The latest statistics showed that 69% of Namibia's rural population and 96% of its urban population had gained access to basic water services by 2017.
However, the report noted that 12% of the rural population still drink untreated surface water.
Furthermore, it indicated that while 60% of the population had access to water supplies on their premises in 2017, in rural areas this figure is only 46% and in urban areas it stands at 75%.
Namibian Sun recently revealed that at 2 June, a total of 5 309 hepatitis E cases had been reported in most regions and that 45 people had died since the first case was detected nearly two years ago in Windhoek's informal settlements.
The first identified case of hepatitis E was reported in mid-October 2017 at a hospital in Windhoek.
The outbreak has spread to almost all regions of Namibia, with the informal settlements most affected because of poor sanitation and inadequate response coordination.
The hardest-hit areas are the Havana and Goreangab informal settlements in Windhoek and the DRC informal settlement at Swakopmund, “where access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is limited”.
Data from the latest situation report, released by the health ministry last week, shows that 3 020 (57%) of those infected were men, while 2 289 were women.
The outbreak has spread from the Khomas Region to eight other regions - Erongo, Kavango, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto and Omaheke.
The Khomas Region remains the most affected area, with a total of 3 469 cases reported, followed by 1 249 cases reported in the Erongo Region.
The remaining 11% of cases, totalling 591, were detected in the other seven regions.
Lack of basic services
The UNICEF and WHO report revealed that 1.8 billion people globally have gained access to basic drinking water services since 2000, but there are vast inequalities in the accessibility, availability and quality of these services. It is estimated that 1 in 10 people (785 million) still lack basic services, including the 144 million who drink untreated surface water. The data shows that 8 in 10 people living in rural areas lacked access to these services.
ELLANIE SMIT
According to the new report by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), of the more than 2.5 million people living in Namibia only 35% had access to basic sanitation facilities by 2017.
This is a mere 7% increase from the turn of the century
According to the report 49% of the population was still defecating in the open in 2017. In 2000, 56% of Namibians were defecating in the open. In terms of rural areas, the report showed that by 2017 only 18% of Namibians had basic sanitation facilities and a massive 73% defecated in the open, compared to 2000 when 76% of rural Namibians were defecating in the open.
In urban areas 53% of the population had basic sanitation facilities and 23% defecated in the open, indicating an increase from 14% in 2000.
The 'Joint Monitoring Programme report, Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2000-2017: Special focus on inequalities' found that while significant progress has been made globally toward achieving universal access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene, there are huge gaps in the quality of services provided.
Some 2.2 billion people around the world do not have safely managed drinking water services, while 4.2 billion people do not have safely managed sanitation services and 3 billion lack basic hand-washing facilities.
Access to water
The report indicated that 83% of Namibians had access to basic drinking water services in 2017, an increase of 6% in coverage since 2000. The latest statistics showed that 69% of Namibia's rural population and 96% of its urban population had gained access to basic water services by 2017.
However, the report noted that 12% of the rural population still drink untreated surface water.
Furthermore, it indicated that while 60% of the population had access to water supplies on their premises in 2017, in rural areas this figure is only 46% and in urban areas it stands at 75%.
Namibian Sun recently revealed that at 2 June, a total of 5 309 hepatitis E cases had been reported in most regions and that 45 people had died since the first case was detected nearly two years ago in Windhoek's informal settlements.
The first identified case of hepatitis E was reported in mid-October 2017 at a hospital in Windhoek.
The outbreak has spread to almost all regions of Namibia, with the informal settlements most affected because of poor sanitation and inadequate response coordination.
The hardest-hit areas are the Havana and Goreangab informal settlements in Windhoek and the DRC informal settlement at Swakopmund, “where access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is limited”.
Data from the latest situation report, released by the health ministry last week, shows that 3 020 (57%) of those infected were men, while 2 289 were women.
The outbreak has spread from the Khomas Region to eight other regions - Erongo, Kavango, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto and Omaheke.
The Khomas Region remains the most affected area, with a total of 3 469 cases reported, followed by 1 249 cases reported in the Erongo Region.
The remaining 11% of cases, totalling 591, were detected in the other seven regions.
Lack of basic services
The UNICEF and WHO report revealed that 1.8 billion people globally have gained access to basic drinking water services since 2000, but there are vast inequalities in the accessibility, availability and quality of these services. It is estimated that 1 in 10 people (785 million) still lack basic services, including the 144 million who drink untreated surface water. The data shows that 8 in 10 people living in rural areas lacked access to these services.
ELLANIE SMIT
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