By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK Generally, it is very rare to find well-developed programmes that assist people with disabilities in most developing countries, and Namibia is no exception. It is apparent that the number of people with disabilities increases every year due to various causes of injuries, occupational hazards, domestic violence as well as diseases such as cancer and cerebra-vascular accidents. Namibia currently has approximately 85ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 000 Namibians living with disabilities. This situation has become a burden on families, communities and on the entire nation. It is against this background that the Ministry of Health and Social Services has decided to introduce the first-ever document that would look at strategies to prevent avoidable causes of disabilities. This is a result of the newly-launched “National Community-Based Care and Rehabilitation Programme” in Windhoek last week Thursday. Officially launching the document on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, Under-Secretary Dr Norbert Foster said prevention of disabilities and promotion of a person’s well-being should be the highest priority by all relevant stakeholders. “I make a special call on all health workers and stakeholders to start realizing the importance of collaboration and coordination of disability prevention and rehabilitation services,” said Shangula, adding that everyone has an important role to play in this regard. The proportion of people living with disabilities in rural areas is higher than those in urban areas where the four northern regions have the highest percentages in the Kavango, Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto, while the Karas Region has the lowest proportion. The 27-page report states that the number of people living with disabilities in Namibia is much higher than the number revealed in the March 2001 Population and Housing Census that reports that five percent of the population are people with disabilities. However, “the number of people with disabilities who face difficulties in obtaining routine rehabilitation services is unknown due to insufficient information collected in previous surveys,” reads the report. This in turn makes it difficult to determine how many people with disabilities need assistance for rehabilitative community-based care. Although such service is being provided at the four main hospitals in the country, the lack of qualified rehabilitation professionals remains a challenge for the health sector. The shortage of such professionals is a major concern for the Health Ministry. Of 34 district hospitals, only five have posts for qualified specialists, namely: Katima Mulilo, Rundu, Oshakati, Engela and Katutura Hospitals. This situation has led to what the report outlines as “delayed and poor quality-service delivery or lack of services” to those living with disabilities. All these shortcomings restrict the effectiveness and efficiency of rehabilitation service-training in the country. Also speaking at the launch, World Health Organization’s country representative, Dr Custodia Mandlhate, said the activities implemented through community-based rehabilitation programmes “go beyond medical care and mere rehabilitation.” It takes on a much more holistic approach. “It ranges from promoting positive attitudes to people with disabilities, preventing causes of disabilities, providing rehabilitation services, facilitating and training opportunities, supporting local initiatives, monitoring and evaluating programmes, including provision of support for micro and macro income-generating activities,” added Mandlhate. Currently, over 90 countries are implementing community-based rehabilitation programmes around the world, and last week Namibia decided to become the 91st country to launch its programme in order to implement what was already adopted soon after independence in 1990.