Spatial frailty modelling for multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis mortality in Namibia

The !Xun San are one of the most marginalised people in the Okongo Community Forest and Conservancy. Traditionally, their economic system largely centred on hunting and gathering. The arrival of the bantu-speaking people in the San’s traditional hunting grounds, however, changed their economic system and livelihoods as the newcomers were primarily agro-pastoralists. For survival, the San were compelled to adopt a new economic system based on farming and trading – economic activities which they were not familiar with. The disruption of the San’s economic systems negatively impacted on their livelihoods, driving most of them into poverty and destitution. How the !Xun San have been affected, the challenges they face and their survival strategies have not been adequately researched. Thus, this study sought to assess the livelihood challenges amongst the !Xun San in the Okongo Community Forest and Conservancy, Ohangwena region. The study adopted a qualitative approach consisting of face-face in-depth interviews carried out with !Xun San households and other key-informants in the area. The study findings indicated that the majority of the !Xun San in the conservancy were experiencing acute levels of poverty, suffered high levels of unemployment and lived in deplorable housing conditions. Their poverty emanated from the fact that most did not own land and therefore could not productively produce for themselves. In addition, the majority did not possess productive assets to enhance their livelihoods. Those that could access land had no skills nor financial capacity to participate fully in farming or other economic activities such as trading. Being highly marginalised and vulnerable to poverty, the !Xun San in the conservancy were resorting to participating in piecework, being engaged by the Owambo to do various chores in return for money. This was, however, not yielding much returns economically. A few others were engaging in brewing traditional beer to supplement their income. Overall, the majority of the !Xun San were facing multiple material deprivations. The study concluded that the material and socio-economic conditions of the San were, in comparison to other population groups, precarious and require urgent attention. The study recommends that government and non-governmental organizations take a pro-active approach and put in place programmes to address the economic and material challenges faced by the !Xun San

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Namibia

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Shikongo, Paulina Mweshitya

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Oyedele, Opeoluwa

• Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis
• Cox Proportional Hazard
• Survival function
• Frailty modelling
• Namibia
• University of Namibia

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11070/3963

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.unam.edu.na:11070/3963