The engagement of different cadres of community leaders continues to be a priority intervention in the containment of the Hepatitis E outbreak.  A total of 10 meetings were held with various community leaders including, leaders of 20 and 30 households, councilors,  traditional healers and traditional birth attendants, in Havana and Goreagab settlements. These meetings were facilitated by the Regional Councilors with support from the Ministry of Health and Social Service, City of Windhoek and WHO.  The meetings aim to sensitize about the Hepatitis E virus outbreak, its transmission and preventive measures.    Community leaders in the affected areas in turn conducted their own meetings to continue with social mobilization.

Health education to pregnant mothers on symptoms, mode of transmission, preventive measures, with emphasis on hand hygiene as part of the strategy to prevent Hepatitis E transmission, are provided during antenatal clinic visits.  Traditional birth attendants have been engaged with support from WHO UNFPA and UNICEF, to be on the look-out for pregnant mothers who present to them with signs and symptoms suggestive of Hepatitis E in order to refer them to the nearest Health facility, and additionally providing health education to pregnant mothers.

Ministry of Education has been engaged and has actively taken on the role of sensitizing learners, teachers and parents about the outbreak and preventive measures. A flyer with translations in three local languages has been produced and distributed widely in the communities.  Interactive radio talks in all local languages are ongoing with a strong emphasis on hygiene and handwashing.  The Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology has committed to the production and translations of radio and TV jingles while WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA are supporting the development of flyers, posters and stickers to strengthen health education and social mobilization.

Community Health Workers and Red Cross Volunteers have been at the helm of awareness creation in communities through door-to-door health education since the outbreak in December 2017.  More than a 100 of this cadre have been oriented and deployed in the affected communities.  They provide health education, distribute IEC materials and water treatment tablets and support the surveillance and WASH teams in the community.  They have been working very closely with  community leaders to increase the coverage of health education messages about the outbreak and preventive measures.