There is an urgent need for community health workers to be deployed to Anichab, a small settlement in the Erongo Region, and to its surrounding farms.
There is only one health worker at present, covering over 10 villages.
Alexia !Gaoses, a community health worker since 2014, has to walk long distances across Anichab to assist individuals in navigating the healthcare system, coordinating appointments, and ensuring follow-up care.
!Gaoses' dedication to providing healthcare services has deepened over the years, yet she continues to face significant challenges in the mountainous and rocky terrain, often walking long distances to reach at least ten households each day.
Limited public transport exposes her to dangerous situations, including encounters with snakes, wild animals like elephants, and the threat of assault.
During a visit from a UNICEF country representative and the Japanese Ambassador to Namibia Hisaso Nishimaki, !Gaoses expressed the need for proper footwear for her daily journeys and highlighted the importance of digitising her patient records.
She carries multiple heavy books, which she says makes her work more difficult as she tries to provide healthcare to a population of 233 from 82 households.
The community also grapples with the perpetual challenges of poverty and a lack of financial resources.
While discussing her daily responsibilities, which include screening, health education, and referrals, !Gaoses stressed the urgent need for more support for pregnant mothers, especially given the lack of transportation to health facilities and the necessity for mothers to stay near hospitals at least three months before their due dates.
Agatha Mosimane, a 28-year-old expectant mother of four from Gurus, expressed her gratitude for !Gaoses' services and requested that the outreach programme be extended to help those unable to reach healthcare facilities.
Both the UNICEF and Japanese Ambassador to Namibia committed to supporting the government in any way possible to enhance the CHW programme and potentially recruit more trained health workers under improved conditions.
A proposal by UNICEF is in the process of being verified to help the Ministry of Health revise the existing curriculum in order to address current challenges and extend the programme.