The Ministry of Health and Social Services, in collaboration with the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), hosted a workshop on Monday to develop country implementation for the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Mine Health and Safety procedures on Tuberculosis (TB) in the mining sector.
The workshop will also cover the significance of tackling socioeconomic determinants of health in the mining industry.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services Executive Director, Ben Nangombe said that TB is a serious public health challenge in the SADC mining sector, affecting not just the infected individuals and their families, but also the broader community.
He also remarked that the disease remains a burden in Namibia, particularly among People Living with HIV (PLHIV). The World Health Organisation ranked Namibia as the 9th highest TB incidence rate in the world in 2022, with a TB incidence rate of 460 per 100,000 population.
Although TB is preventable and curable, an estimated 10.6 million individuals, including 1.2 million children, fell ill with the disease in 2021, with an estimated 1.6 million deaths worldwide, according to him.
“The most common risk factor attributed to TB infection in Namibia is HIV infection, followed by malnourishment, excessive intake of alcohol; smoking, and Diabetes Mellitus. One group at exceptionally high risk of contracting TB is the mineral mining industry. Working conditions inside mines create a high-risk environment for TB transmission, resulting from confined and poorly ventilated environments conducive to transmission,” Nangombe said, noting that the TB incidence among miners is estimated to be as much as ten times higher than in the populations from which they originate.
As a result, prioritization of TB services in mining areas is critical, he added. The ECSA-HC is an intergovernmental health organization that fosters and promotes regional health collaboration among member states and has developed four generic SOPs to improve health and safety in the mining sector. These SOPs are intended to guide member states in prioritizing the prevention, effective screening, and treatment of TB in mine workers.
According to a Namibian survey of TB patients done in 2021, around 82% of households endure financial hardship due to the disease’s accompanying costs, even though TB diagnostics and treatment are free in the public health sector. “The main cost drivers are non-medical expenditures such as travel, nutritional supplements, food, and time/income loss,” the survey findings indicated.
Additionally, Nangombe noted that the four Mine Health and Safety SoPs include risk management, early diagnosis, and surveillance of TB, HIV, and Occupational Lung Diseases (OLDs) in mining; Information, Education, and Communication on TB, HIV, and Occupational Lung Diseases in mining; Quality management of TB, HIV, and Occupational Lung disease programmes in mining; and Monitoring and Evaluation of TB, HIV, and Occupational Lung disease programmes in mining.
“This workshop will create awareness and understanding of the Mine Health and Safety SOPs for organizations to advocate for their implementation at the country level. Moreover, I’m hopeful that this workshop will provide a platform for fruitful discussions and that the outcomes will inform the adaptation and adoption of the four generic SOPs to address TB and other occupational diseases that have burdened the mining sector for decades,” he said. “To be effective, the SOPs adopted in this workshop should be integrated into MoHSS frameworks as well as those of relevant Offices/Ministries/Agencies of Government, and partner organizations.”
Meanwhile, the ED stated that the Health Ministry established an occupational health subdivision that collaborates closely with the Ministries of Labour, Industrial Relations, and Employment Creation, as well as the Mines and Energy to strengthen Namibia’s response to combating occupational diseases such as TB in the mining sector.
“Additionally, we have set up a Multi-Stakeholder Committee for TB in the mining sector, and are participating in the Project on TB in the Mining Sector (TIMS III project), which was launched on 25 February 2022 by the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC). Moreover, we are developing a National Strategic Plan incorporating TB in the Mining Sector,” he said.
“I would like to emphasize that the successful adoption of the four generic SOPs will require the commitment and cooperation of all stakeholders, including governments, the private sector, civil society organizations, and the communities. The workshop will provide a platform for developing concrete actions that will lead to a healthier and more prosperous mining sector in Namibia Let us work together to ensure that we achieve our shared goal of a Tbfree mining sector in Southern Africa by 2030,” he concluded.
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