Ministry of Health and Social Service on deadly disease on Tuesday revealed that Namibia recorded a 65 per cent increase in Hepatitis E in 2019 to reach almost 7,000 in total.
The new infections rose by 2,747 to 6,974 cases between January and December 2020. The total number of people killed by the disease hit 59 since it first broke out more than two years ago.
The report warns that the primary obstacles hampering efforts to stop the outbreak included limited sanitation facilities and poor access to water.
According to the report, the number of toilets and latrines available to communities remains low and many people are still practicing open defecation.
“Available water at communal taps is not accessible to everyone because one has to buy the water and most of the community members cannot afford to buy the water, hence the use of water riverbeds,’’ the report states.
