31 May 2021 | Health
VACCINATION EFFORTS: Government is aiming to vaccinate thousands of sex workers and homeless persons against Covid-19.
PHOTO: FILE
JEMIMA BEUKES AND OGONE TLHAGE
WINDHOEK
Government is targeting to vaccinate over 19 000 sex workers and homeless persons across Namibia as part of its vaccination drive.
This information is contained in the state’s ambitious vaccine roll-out plan, which sets an ambitious target of inoculating up to 290 000 people from seven targeted groups.
These groups include 53 000 healthcare workers, 95 000 pensioners, 83 000 people living with HIV, 45 000 persons living with hypertension, 36 000 persons living with diabetes, 30 000 non-essential frontline workers, 30 000 people living in informal settlements, 15 500 teachers, 16 000 correctional and police officers and 8 000 prisoners, among others.
Nisha Devi, who lost her baby due to anaemia
Credit: Cheena Kapoor
A loving husband, a steady income, and a healthy child on the way – at the beginning of last year Nisha Devi s future seemed bright. Then, her life started crumbling.
On March 22, with just four hours’ notice, a nationwide lockdown was imposed on India. As businesses and other activities ground to a halt, workers, especially migrant labourers like Devi s husband Sandeep Kumar, lost their livelihoods. Sandeep – along with hundreds of thousands of others – returned to their home villages to sit out the pandemic.
Days turned into months. With the family’s income reduced to almost nothing, there were days when the young couple had barely enough to eat. Then the government delivered the final blow by suspending its nutritional programmes.