The increasing use of drugs and alcohol, especially among teenagers, has become a serious concern for residents of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund in the Erongo Region.

This was shared during the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Social Development, and Family Affairs consultations on gender-based violence and femicide in the towns.

Committee chairperson Gotthard Kasuto says consultations follow a petition in 2020 by the Shut It All Down Movement to Parliament seeking an end to sexual violence and femicide.

A shortage of equipment, limited space, insufficient staff, and inadequate funds are among the factors continuing to hamper the efficiency and effectiveness of services at the Windhoek Central Hospital.

This came to light during an inspection visit by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Social Development, and Family Affairs at the hospital. The dilapidated state of healthcare facilities has been an ongoing concern in the country.