Nghikevali Abraham V, Crowley Talitha
School of Nursing, Faculty of Community and Health Science, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
J Public Health Afr. 2025 Jul 9;16(1):1359. doi: 10.4102/jphia.v16i1.1359. eCollection 2025.
The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major global health concern, with an estimated one-third of the human population infected. It is particularly prevalent in developing countries, especially in informal settlements where inadequate sanitation and limited access to clean water contribute to its spread.
The study aimed to explore and describe community leaders' experiences regarding the spread of HEV in the Havana informal settlement, Khomas region, Namibia.
This study focused on Havana informal settlement in the Namibian capital of Windhoek, which is in the Khomas region. The Havana informal settlement is predominantly populated with unemployed people.
Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 community leaders, aged 24 years to 65 years, who were knowledgeable of the spread of HEV in the informal settlement. Thematic qualitative analysis was used to analyse data.
The themes identified included HEV risk awareness, contextual factors influencing the spread of HEV, action drivers for change and actions taken to activate change. Overall, there was a good understanding of HEV, although some individuals in the community held incorrect information and harboured myths and misconceptions about HEV. Inadequate access to water, sanitation facilities and unhygienic cultural practices were identified as primary routes of transmission, fuelled by overcrowding.
The study highlighted the importance of government-private sector cooperation, community health education, access to clean water and improved infrastructure in preventing the spread of HEV. Addressing these factors is essential for overcoming health challenges in informal settlements.
This research underscores the critical role of community engagement in mitigating HEV outbreaks in informal settlements.
戊型肝炎病毒（HEV）是全球主要的健康问题，估计全球三分之一的人口受到感染。它在发展中国家尤为普遍，特别是在非正规住区，那里卫生设施不足和获得清洁水的机会有限助长了其传播。
该研究旨在探索和描述社区领袖对纳米比亚霍马斯地区哈瓦那非正规住区戊型肝炎病毒传播的经历。
本研究聚焦于纳米比亚首都温得和克霍马斯地区的哈瓦那非正规住区。哈瓦那非正规住区主要居住着失业人员。
对15名年龄在24岁至65岁之间、了解非正规住区戊型肝炎病毒传播情况的社区领袖进行了个人深入访谈。采用主题定性分析方法对数据进行分析。
确定的主题包括戊型肝炎病毒风险意识、影响戊型肝炎病毒传播的背景因素、变革的行动驱动因素以及为推动变革而采取的行动。总体而言，对戊型肝炎病毒有较好的了解，尽管社区中的一些人持有错误信息，并对戊型肝炎病毒存在误解和错误观念。获得水、卫生设施的机会不足以及不卫生的文化习俗被确定为主要传播途径，而过度拥挤加剧了这种情况。
该研究强调了政府与私营部门合作、社区健康教育、获得清洁水和改善基础设施在预防戊型肝炎病毒传播方面的重要性。解决这些因素对于克服非正规住区的健康挑战至关重要。
本研究强调了社区参与在减轻非正规住区戊型肝炎病毒疫情方面的关键作用。
