While battling to contain the Hepatitis E virus which has spread like wildfire and recorded 6746 cases in the last two years, authorities in Namibia have observed yet another trend- Hepatitis A is also on the rise.
In the last three years, there have been over 2 200 Hepatitis A cases recorded countrywide. Although official statistics confirm that there are 183 cases of Hepatitis A in the Omusati region in northern Namibia, where access to clean water and sanitation is poor and inadequate, there could be more people infected with Hepatitis A in the region and the country at large.
However sporadic cases have been observed in other regions within Namibia, according to officials. At this stage, not all regions in the country are sharing their statistics with officials in the Ministry of Health and Social Services as well as the World Health Organisation who have been monitoring the trend of Hepatitis E and recently Hepatitis A in the country.
Hepatitis A and E are similar because they are both caused by the ingestion of contaminated water or food. In most cases, Hepatitis A infections are mild and most people recover fully from the disease and remain immune from being further infected with the Hepatitis A virus, (see also World Health Organisation https://www.who.int/features/qa/76/en/).
Meanwhile, Hepatitis E is severe and a common cause of other types of Hepatitis outbreaks such as Hepatitis A. Both diseases tend to be prevalent in communities where there is poor access to clean water and inadequate sanitation.
Below are facts on water and sanitation in Namibia, according to https://www.unicef.org/namibia/health_nutrition_13817.html.
*52% of Namibians practice open defecation.
*33% of Namibian households have access to improved sanitation facilities.
*23% of schools are without functioning sanitation facilities.
*These are the most current statistics from UNICEF Namibia website.
References
National Sitrep report jointly compiled by the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Namibia and the World Health Organisation country office.
Focus on Waterborne Diseases 