Hon. Dr Kalumbi Shangula statement 5 February 2020


Hon. Dr Kalumbi Shangula statement 5 February 2020



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REPUBLIC OF NAMIBIA
STATEMENT BY HON. DR. KALUMBI SHANGULA, MINISTER OF HEALTH
AND SOCIAL SERVICES,
ON THE OCCASION OF A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE LABORATORY
RESULTS OF A SUSPECTED CORONA VIRUS CASE.
05 FEBRUARY 2019
WINDHOEK
*Check Against Delivery

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Director of the Programme,
Senior Officials of the Ministry of Health and Social Services
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
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that your
because,
measures
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With respect to the situation in other countries around
cases in 23 countries. There has been one (1) death,
Director-General of WHO has declared the outbreak
Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
the world, there
which occurred
of 2019-nCoV
are now 159 confirmed
in The Philippines. The
constitutes as a Public
SUSPECTED CORONAVIRUS PATIENT IN SWAKOPMUND DISTRICT
On 31* January 2020, a
District Hospital casualty
had traveled to Sydney,
International Airport via
female Namibian patient,
at 18:00, with coughing,
Australia and returned
Doha, Qatar. She had not
aged 30, presented at the Swakopmund
running nose and a headache. The patient
to Namibia through the Hosea Kutako
complained of fever.
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The patient’s Vital signs were as follows:
Temperature: 35°C; Pulse: 81; BP: 127/80, and PO2: 99%,
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Samples
(NICD)
were taken
Laboratory
and sent for testing to the
in Johannesburg, South
National
Africa.
Institute of Communicable Diseases
The NICD is a WHO accredited

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Laboratory which provides
SADC Region, with respect
specialized diagnostic
to the testing of rare
and
and
pathological services
uncommon diseases.
to
countries
in
the
The samples were dispatched on 3" F ebruary 2020. I wish to inform
received the results back from NICD and they indicate that the patient
novel 2019 Corona Virus. I must stress that this person was screen at
It therefore shows that our screening method at the airport is effective
the nation that we have
is not infected with the
HKIA and was cleared.
and can be relied upon.
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I take this opportunity to
this suspected case. I also
of entry to screen arriving
new threat.
thank our health workers who were at the forefront of
thank other Namibians who are working day and night
passengers and thereby protecting the Namibian people
dealing with
at our ports
against this
By way of
to respond
an
to
update, I wish to inform the
the Corona Virus threat.
nation
what
we
have
done
as
part
of
our
interventions
Namibia’s Response to Date
1,
National Health Emergency Committee on the 2019-nCoV activated. The Committee
is chaired by the Director of Health Information and Research in the Ministry of Health
and Social Services.
as
The Ministry has sent letters to all Regional Directors of the Ministry of Health and
Social Services to activate Regional Health Emergency Management Committee and
to prepare by assessing their readiness and determining additional needs required for
prompt response.
3.
A costed 2019-nCoV preparedness and response plan is being finalized.
4.
Social Mobilization/ awareness raising has been done through local media (TV, radio,
print and electronics).
5.
Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials (Banners, leaflets,
questionnaires and posters) are finalized and distributed.
6.
Port Health officials were deployed to Hosea Kutako International Airport, Walvis Bay
Airport and Eros Airport.
7.
Isolation facilities for to accommodate suspected cases identified at Windhoek Central
Hospital (Ward 6) and equipping the isolation facility at the Hosea Kutako International
Airport is underway.
8.
Ministry of Health and Social Services has engaged the Ministry of Defense to deploy
the Mobile Field Hospital to Hosea Kutako International Airport to support existing
infrastructure.

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Request is underway to the Ministry of Works and Transport NAC to schedule the
arrival of flights in such a way to avoid overcrowding/congestion and facilitate
screening of the passengers effectively.
10.
In addition, it has been requested that all chartered aircraft arrivals from outside
Namibia be routed through Hosea Kutako International Airport and Walvis Bay Airport
in order to minimize health risk posed by international travel.
11, Arrangements will be made by Namibia Civil Aviation Authorities with the health
officials at the airports for all international chartered planes to be screened upon arrivals
at different local airports.
2.
The Procurement of additional infection control equipment is in progress. Initial
batches have been sourced and dispatched to different Ports of Entry.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Requirements
I.
It is expected that further more cases may appear in different countries. Thus, all
countries should be prepared for containment, including active surveillance, early
detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward
spread of 2019-nCoVinfection, and to share full data with WHO.
Countries are legally required to share information with WHO under the Internal Health
Regulations ([HR).
Any detection of coronavirus in an animal (including information about the species,
diagnostic tests, and relevant epidemiological information) should be reported to the
World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as an emerging disease.
Countries should place particular emphasis on reducing human infection, prevention of
secondary transmission and international spread, and contributing to the international
response though multi-sectoral communication and collaboration and active
participation in increasing knowledge on the virus and the disease, as well as advancing
research.
Any travel or trade restriction based on the current information available are not
recommended.
Countries must inform WHO about travel measures taken, as required by the IHR.
Countries are cautioned against actions that promote stigma or discrimination, in line
with the principles of Article 3 of the IHR.
I can inform you that the World Health Organization is satisfied with the measures that Namibia
has taken in response to the coronavirus outbreak in China.
Another case that was also sent for testing came out negative. This is a case of a Chinese
national who returned from China on the 18% January 2020. He displayed no signs of anything
but the local doctor decided to have him tested.
I once more would like to appeal to the public to remain alert but not to panic. We will update
the nation through you on any new development.