Mashare

Mashare is a settlement in the Kavango East Region of Namibia, just east of Rundu, the regional capital. It is the district capital of Mashare Constituency.^[1]

Location of Mashare constituency (yellow) in the Kavango Region (dark grey) of Namibia

The settlement hosted a leprosarium until the early 1980s when the Namibian War of Independence led to its closure. The hospital accommodated thousands of patients with leprosy from Namibia, Angola, and Botswana.^[2] Until today^[update], Mashare is home to the biggest community of leprosy patients in Namibia who live together voluntarily due to their shared experience of stigma and isolation.^[1]