Namibia recorded 344 new cases of hepatitis E from Dec. 30 to Feb. 23, according to a new report released by the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
“The outbreak continues to be protracted and cases are still being detected in areas where water and toilet facilities are limited, particularly in the Khomas and Erongo regions,” the report said.
Since the outbreak was first declared on Dec. 14, 2017, in Windhoek, cases have been reported mainly from informal settlements where access to potable water, sanitation, and hygiene is limited.
Namibia is looking to acquire hepatitis E vaccine from China to curb the continuous increase of new infections across the country, Bernard Haufiku, who leads Namibia’s hepatitis E response team, said last month.
“It is a targeted pilot intervention to confirm the effectiveness of the vaccine in our setting. The vaccine was tested in China where it is manufactured and currently in use,” Haufiku said. Enditem
