Namibia PDNA 2009 - GFDRR

Provision of safe water was done by NWRWS. For example
in Oshana and Caprivi Regions 26 outreach services were
established during the floods.
The MoHSS was assisted by the Ministry of Defence, using
helicopter to provide critical services. However, the reliability
of the helicopter was a challenge, as there were only two
helicopters to cover the four Regions in the north-central
area.
WHO conducted training of health workers on cholera case
management and Emergency Preparedness and Response
(EPR) were conducted and flood response preparedness plans
were made. UNFPA delivered 39 reproductive health kits in
the affected regions to improve reproductive health services
in the relocation camps. The EU also provided 73 humanitarian
emergency kits to the flood affected regions and most of these
included anti-malarial medicines.
Management of severe malnutrition has been put in place by
the MoHSS with the support of UNICEF. UNICEF also provided
a Child Protection Specialist. Some nutrition programmes
are in place in the country including high doses of vitamin A
supplements, as well as community-based growth monitoring
and therapeutic care programmes for all children under the
age of 5 years in the affected regions. Appropriate therapeutic
food supplements were procured by UNICEF and distributed
to the flood affected regions for treatment of moderate to
severe or acute malnutrition. Health workers have been trained
to manage the moderate and severe cases of malnutrition
among children. In addition, food aid is being distributed among
the displaced communities in the camps. However, the food
ratio is being distributed by household, and does not take into
consideration the number of occupants in the house. The only
food provided was fish; maize meal and oil, although in some
Regions some people only received maize and oil and no fish.
Capacity gaps:
Referral. Most of the time, clinics and health centres refer
patients to the hospitals that have one ambulance each.
Referrals are rarely made from clinics to health centres. The
health centres and clinics rely on these ambulances, when they
have cases to refer. In most cases, in those regions that have one
hospital, the ambulance is found to be needed at several clinics
or health centres at the same time and given the distances to
travel, sometimes it is too late to save lives.
In Kabbe Constituency, Caprivi Region. The Kabbe Constiuency
faces a particular need. There are four clinics completely cut off
from the main land, accessible only by boat, by air or through
Zambia and Botswana by road. The nearest hospitals to refer
cases to are hospitals in Zambia and Botswana, but this option
is costly to patients, because patients pay N$100 per day in
these hospitals.
Community care. Community health workers such as Traditional
Birth Attendants (TBAs), medicine distributors, life ambassadors
and traditional healers are in the communities, but are not
linked to the health facilities in the area. For instance deliveries
conducted by the TBAs in the communities are not known to
the health workers in the health facilities. At present, not much
is being done to address this, given the fact that people are far
away. However, community care services should be focused on
reducing on the burden of disease in the community.
Psychiatric care. All hospitals lack acute psychiatric in-patient
care units, except at the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital. This
means that psychiatric care services are limited in Kavango and
Caprivi regions. Mental health cases are being admitted in the
wards with the rest of the patients, or, in extreme cases, are
referred to the Psychiatric Hospital in Windhoek, (a distance of
1,200 km from Katima Mulilo, the town of Caprivi and 700 km
from Rundu, the town of Kavango).
Recovery Strategy
Goal:
The overall goal of the health recovery process is to reverse the
impact of the disaster on the population and the health systems
and services in order to restore and improve the health and
social well being of the population in the affected areas.
Objectives:
1. Ensuring provision of basic health and nutrition
services including adequate integrated disease
surveillance and response, nutrition surveillance
and Epidemic preparedness and response.
2. Ensuring reconstruction and repair of the damaged
health infrastructure to agreed standards and
recovery of losses.
3. Establish community linkage with the health system
through capacity building to ensure community
mobilization and reporting for health.
4. Ensuring access to safe water supply by health
facilities and communities and good health through
health education and promotion.
5. Organize mobilization and coordination
mechanisms of resources including those with
international donors, UN systems and government
to implement the recovery result frame work
including early recovery needs in the revision of
the flash appeal.
Risks for success/failure:
• Political will of the government is very crucial for
the recovery programmes to take effect
• Support of local, international community and
donors
• Community ownership
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Namibia POST-DISASTER NEEDS ASSESSMENT