Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

//Kharas faces own health challenges

Home HIVAIDS //Kharas faces own health challenges

Lüderitz

The growing population of the //Kharas Region that presently stands at around 80 000 poses challenges concerning health provision.

This was revealed recently by Dr Davies Nkalamo, a senior doctor from Lüderitz state hospital, when he presented a health overview of the //Kharas region.

He noted activities being undertaken to improve public health and these included HIV counselling and testing and patient support.

The population of //Kharas Region comprises Lüderitz (22 737), Keetmanshoop (37 689), Karasburg (19 072) and managing healthcare effectively remains a huge priority. The report indicates that if corrective action is taken, there is great potential in areas such as minimising the spread of HIV.

The report shows that in Lüderitz, the HIV prevalence rate decreased from 22 percent in 2012 to 20.9 percent in 2014. This, however, is still higher than the national rate for Namibia, which stood at 18.2 percent in 2012 and 16.9 percent in 2014.

//Kharas as a whole has seen an increase in HIV prevalence with 16.4 percent and 17.0 percent in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

The focus is on medicating HIV and pregnant women to ensure that their babies are HIV-negative, which is an impressive result.

Condom distribution is also being increased in efforts to minimise the spread of HIV, but usage of female condom (femidom) is too low.

There are many challenges facing the region, Nkalamo encouraged particularly couples to go together for regular health check-ups.

In terms of success of treatment for TB, the report says //Kharas improved from 87 percent in 2013 to 94 percent in 2014 slightly lower than the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of 95 percent.

He also stated that alcohol abuse and food insecurity are hampering adherence to TB treatment, therefore Dr Nkalamo has appealed to patients to slow down on alcohol intake.