Africa-Press – Namibia. Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Esperance Luvindao hailed the launch of the first edition of the Event-Based Surveillance (EBS) Technical Guidelines, noting that it marks a significant milestone in strengthening Namibia’s health security.
She said the world faces unprecedented public health challenges, like a surge in emerging and re-emerging pathogens, including influenza, viral haemorrhagic fevers, malaria, cholera, and other communicable diseases.
“These threats have the potential to rapidly escalate into epidemics and pandemics, with devastating consequences for public health, livelihoods, and our economy,” said Luvindao.
She noted that the factors driving this increasing burden of disease include the expansion of human and animal populations, degradation of wildlife habitats, increased international travel and trade, and urbanisation.
“Climate change acts as a threat multiplier, exacerbating existing health challenges, shifting disease transmission patterns, increasing the likelihood of pandemics, and intensifying health impacts from extreme weather events,” she added.
Luvindao said they have embraced EBS as a crucial intervention for timely detection, reporting, and rapid response to potential public health emergencies.
World Health Organisation Representative, Richard Banda has said that EBS is one of the key components of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response.
He said although progress towards a coordinated, integrated surveillance system has been mixed, almost every country in the African Region and their partners invested resources in the process, to build capacities for public health surveillance systems to prevent unnecessary illness, death, and disability.
“Namibia officially adopted the 3rd edition Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) and began its implementation in June 2023. This was an indication of the commitment to strengthening public health security,” he stated.
Banda said the main objective of the IDSR technical guidelines is to improve the country’s ability to detect, report, confirm, and effectively respond to high-priority diseases.
“To date, WHO has supported the ministry with the training of over 300 health workers on the use and implementation of the IDSR 3rd edition technical guidelines and we will continue to provide support in the roll out both financial and technical,” he assured.
Banda said the country is currently experiencing concurrent outbreaks of malaria and cholera which requires additional resources to ensure that the outbreaks are controlled to prevent further transmission.
“As we observe the decline in the number of Malaria cases, it is important that preparedness activities commence before the next rainy season. WHO strongly recommends the multi-sectoral response to the ongoing outbreaks to contain the current cholera outbreak in Opuwo district, Kunene,” he shared.
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