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• BASIL FREDERICKS
IN THE LAST DECADES, the city of Windhoek has grown rapidly, putting a strain on the city's health sector.
It is known that the population of a country strengthen its economic workforce. For example, communities living in informal settlements with poor health conditions are directly affected.
This can help to accelerate the migration of rural populations to urban areas, so that informal settlements expand beyond the capacity of the city to provide adequate services. This is further aggravated by the lack of political and municipal will to deal with this modern phenomenon, leading to the persistence of urban poverty and informal settlements.
The challenge of eradicating informal settlements and inherent health inequities is enormous. These rural communities, many of them poor, often illiterate and unskilled, are trying to find jobs in the city. This leads them more to being exposed to crime and violence, living a life of fear and low social status.
The effects on young people are visible through their aggressive behavior in order to cope with their difficult environment. Subsequent overcrowding is putting a lot of pressure on municipal services and pollution of the environment. Occupational health and safety risks are often associated with poor living conditions, poor nutrition and inadequate housing.
The improvement of living conditions and access to quality health care are slow. Overcrowding and poor housing conditions, combined with dirt and lack of financial resources, contribute to the presence and spread of various infectious diseases in these facilities, affecting mainly women and children.
The eradication of poor health conditions in these colonies requires education and good health planning. Social factors, including lack of culturally appropriate services, language barriers and prejudices need to be taken into account.
Health workers are sometimes guilty of preventing poor and marginalized people from accessing services. This population group often lacks basic understanding of how to navigate the health system, and is therefore vulnerable to unethical health workers.
There are many effective and sustainable hygiene education programs in informal settlements: reduction of infant mortality and diarrheal diseases, better environmental pollution and improvement of living conditions .
Hygiene education programs are among the most effective ways to reduce health care costs, especially in high-density institutions where residents are at higher risk for related diseases poor sanitation. It is imperative to put more emphasis on the training and use and maintenance of toilets.
Education will have the ability to change the mentality and behavior of these communities in a positive way.
The country suffers massive financial losses because of health care costs for diseases that could be easily prevented. Educating schoolchildren on basic hygiene and sanitation is very important. Children are usually eager to learn, which can promote and promote a positive behavioral change in other children.
This can have a positive impact on effective learning, the reduction of infectious diseases and the cleanliness of the environment. Children and adults who receive an education should have a longer life expectancy.
Access to health education opportunities for these residents forms the basis for future access to economic opportunities. They are not covered by social protection or comprehensive health care and generally suffer from poverty-related illnesses.
Therefore, education gives people the knowledge and skills necessary for their daily lives, increases income and job security opportunities, allows them to control the circumstances of life and their allows to participate fully.
It is important that proper training and ongoing support can be planned and implemented effectively. Municipal officials, NGOs and government officials must strive to improve the general well-being of settlers in a socially responsible and inclusive manner.
Through partnerships, this will create much needed social development and capacity building through the sustainability of services and the creation of jobs for these communities. Effective program design can address these behavioral and sociological dimensions of health research behavior by mobilizing the community to actively seek health care and raise awareness of the range of services available.
A sense of community belonging to health programs will leave residents of informal settlements feeling dignified and proud while making social improvements.
The goal of health education in all countries is to reduce vulnerability and improve health research behaviors to reduce the risk of illness and death. A secondary benefit is the reduction of health care costs.
Specific programs should be developed to help build self-confidence and self-esteem in order to overcome the stigma of social exclusion. Empowering marginalized women can also help promote health, through women's networks that build social capital and strengthen social cohesion.
Health and financial programs can improve the level and quality of life and personal well-being of settlers.
Communities and local leaders should provide ongoing support, through interactive learning programs, which should be encouraged to promote broader support for health education initiatives. This at its core requires that the causes of poor socio-economic conditions of informal settlements be recognized and addressed effectively.
Effective education, appropriate skill development and economic growth are the foundation of the human capital needed to transform our country in a positive way.
* Bazil Fredericks works in the Department of Lifelong Learning and Community Education at the University of Namibia. The opinion was written in a personal capacity.
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