Category: Medical

Women in Namibia make up a huge percentage of the agricultural labour force, hold a vital stake in the health of the land, and are the major actors in the country’s efforts to combat desertification and reverse land degradation.

This was said by President Geingob on the occasion of the Commemoration of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, under the theme ‘Her Land. Her Rights.’

This year’s theme is gender-focused and recognises the rights of women to land and their significance in achieving the interconnected global goals of gender equality and land degradation neutrality by 2030.

Geingob in a media statement availed here Saturday stated that the climate change emergency has accelerated desertification and droughts, which have profound impacts on nations’ agricultural output, risking food production and pushing many families into poverty.

“Regrettably, Namibia is anticipating drought in the current year due to poor rainfall in the previous rainy season and floods in some northern parts of the country. To deal with the adverse effects of droughts, the Government has redirected resources to mitigate the impacts of drought in affected communities,” he said.

At the level of policy, Namibia has made progress in combating desertification and drought through the implementation of the National Drought Policy and Strategy, monitored by the National Drought Task Force, which benefited immensely from the input of various organisations, including Offices, Ministries and Agencies (OMAs), he said.

Government, he highlighted is in the final phase of the implementation of the Third National Action Programme to Combat Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought (2014–2024).

The programme demonstrates the government’s efforts in the fight against desertification, land degradation, and drought, and it underscores the commitment to integrating sustainable land management into national development priorities.

“As a nation, we collectively need to build resilience to drought by developing drought-resistant crops and livestock and by storing water for future use. We need to improve the way we manage our land. This includes promoting practices such as planting trees, reducing deforestation, and conserving water,” he said.

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed on June 17 each year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification.

The day offers a chance to recognise that land degradation neutrality (LDN) is achievable through problem-solving, strong community involvement, and cooperation at all levels.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has recognized Cameroon-born Prof. Muki Shey[MS1] for “outstanding scientific contributions to health research” in South Africa.

This was during the 9th SAMRC Scientific Merit Awards which recognise excellence in health research.

Muki’ s award was in the silver category, meaning it is “conferred to emerging and upcoming scientists and those committed to capacity development” according to a statement from SAMRC which CNA saw.

Muki received the award in his category alongside two other South African scientists in recognition of his work towards his research to find a cure or vaccine for tuberculosis (TB), a disease that currently only has the BCG [Bacillus Calmette-Guérin] vaccine which is only more effective in treating TB in children and not in adults.

Speaking to CNA reporter Hans Ngala in Cape Town, the 43-year-old scholar from Nkumkov-Nseh in Bui Division of the North West expressed gratitude for the recognition and says he knows that finding a vaccine is not easy as it can take 5 years or even 20 years because many trial studies have to be done to test the efficacy of a vaccine.

Prof. Shey who is an infectious disease immunologist at the University of Cape Town (UCT) is also an active member of the Bui Family Union (BFU) Cape Town Chapter and credits his elder brother Prof. Charles Wiysonge who sponsored him through school (while still studying as well) and both of them ended up graduating Doctoral (Ph.D) degrees on the same day from UCT.

Prof. Shey explains that the start of his scientific career was not easy as he struggled at the start of his career in the early 2000s, selling belts and phone covers over the weekends to help him pay for part of his medical school.

Prof. Shey is an infectious diseases specialist and doubles as the Chief Research Officer at the UCT’s Department of Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The World Health Organization (WHO) handed over eight vehicles today to the Ministry of Health as part of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Flagship Initiative.

The donation of the vehicles will help to improve the ministry’s ability to deploy emergency responders quickly and effectively, it was noted.

WHO Acting Country Representative, Dr. Dlamini Nonhlanhla, congratulated on the occasion the ministry on its progress in implementing the Emergency Preparedness and Response Flagship Initiative.

According to her, the donation will help to improve the ministry to deploy emergency responders quickly and effectively.

Dr. Nonhlanhla further reiterated that WHO’s commitment to support Ethiopia’s efforts in ensuring health security will continue.

“This support focuses on strengthening both the national and regional capacity for health emergencies response where the vehicles will provided important logistical support for the Surge Rapid Response Teams and Emergency Medical Teams,” she stated.

Health Minister, Dr. Lia Tadesse on her part expressed gratitude for the support and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to the Emergency Preparedness and Response Flagship Initiative.

She noted that the donation will be a valuable asset in the ministry’s efforts to protect the health and well-being of the Ethiopian people.

The donation is a testament to the strong collaboration between the WHO, the MoH, and EPHI; and it is a sign of their shared commitment to ensuring health security in Ethiopia.

The minister finally said that “in the past 8 to 9 months significant milestones have been achieved in preparedness efforts with the support, including the development of this comprehensive road map engaging key stakeholder and the successful training.”

The Emergency Preparedness and Response Flagship Initiative is a component of Ethiopia’s efforts to build a more resilient health system by strengthening the country’s capacity to prepare for, detect, and respond to public health emergencies..

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Out of the 400,000 blood banks the country is in need of annually, only about 147,000 blood pints are collected. To improve on this little figure, the National Transfusion Service has organized a three-week blood donation program across the country to increase the quantity of blood in the country’s blood bank.

The Minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachi while speaking during the ceremony in Yaounde on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, to celebrate World Donor Day stated that donating blood is necessary as it helps to reduce suffering and death linked to blood shortage.

“There are about 782 deaths per 100,000 births in the country and nearly half of these cases are related to bleeding, stressing the need for people to donate blood in campaigns. Let’s all mobilize to save lives” Minister Malachi said.

He went further to express gratitude to those who regularly donate blood and insisted that blood donation is an act of generosity, solidarity, and citizenship that saves thousands of lives every day.

The General Manager of the National Transfusion Service, Dora Mbanya said “We are encouraging people to donate blood freely, not necessarily because a family member or friend is in need. Our target is to reach 3,000 health districts in this campaign.”

Cameroon’s public health ministry reported that in 2022, hospitals in the country were able to collect a little more than 120,000 pints of blood from voluntary donors, family members, and friends of sick patients.

The government says blood donation needs in Cameroon are increasing due to the conflicts in the country’s North West and South West regions, and fighting with Boko Haram militants on the northern border with Nigeria

This year’s World Donor Day is commemorated under the theme “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often”

Source: Cameroon News Agency

The Ministry of Health and Social Services has procured four trucks valued at N.dollars 10 million to assist with the delivery of medical supplies nationwide.

The Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, said at a press conference held during the National Pharmaceutical Services Forum in Otjiwarongo on Monday, that the trucks are for the Central Medical Stores (CMS) and will improve the transportation and distribution of pharmaceuticals and clinical supplies across the country.

“The CMS is a division within the ministry that plans, stores, and distributes pharmaceuticals and clinical supplies for use in all public health facilities in Namibia. The distribution network directly provides pharmaceutical and clinical supplies to about 40 health facilities on a six-weekly cycle,” he said.

Before the procurement of the four trucks, the fleet of distribution vehicles at CMS consisted of only five government-owned trucks with high odometer readings which were prone to frequent breakdowns, often leading to delays in the delivery cycle.

The minister during the same event also commissioned 420 wheelchairs, saying the commissioning comes against the backdrop of the commemoration of the National Day of Persons with Disability in Namibia over the weekend. He however emphasised that these will not fully cover the need for wheelchairs in Namibia.

“There are waiting lists for wheelchairs, comprising more than 590 children and more than 1 200 adults. This is a poignant reminder of the work that lies ahead,” he said.

Shangula called upon all community leaders and health workers to inform the relevant offices of any person with disabilities who needs support with mobility.

Otjozondjupa Region Governor James Uerikua also said they have been receiving assistance from various stakeholders that have donated wheelchairs to the region.

“We distributed these wheelchairs through the constituency councillors and health directorate. If you’re in need of a wheelchair, please knock on our doors,” he said.

The National Pharmaceutical Services Forum is taking place from 12 to 16 June and brings together directors, regional officers and practitioners in the pharmaceutical field to discuss ways the health ministry can improve service delivery as far as the availability of safe, efficacious, and high-quality medicines and clinical supplies are concerned.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Capricorn Private Wealth (CPW) secured the Best Private Banking Brand award in Namibia for 2023 at the 11th edition of the Global Brand Awards.

The Global Brand Awards are an annual event hosted by Global Business Magazine, a journal based in the United Kingdom that recognises global businesses’ achievements across multiple sectors.

Every year, Global Business Magazine creates awards for companies that stand out in their sector by providing great service, creative solutions, and consumer-centric products.

Capricorn Private Wealth’s Executive Officer, Chris Matthee in a press release on Thursday said the awards constituted an external research team to evaluate the nominees for its Banking Awards category.

As a result, the Global Brand Awards said Capricorn Private Wealth was selected from a competitive group of entrants, all demonstrating exceptional service delivery towards evolving banking sectors, he said.

Matthee said CPW was awarded this honour for its outstanding commitment to innovation, quality, branding activities, and customer service and performance.

“Over the years, we have understood the various needs of our high-net-worth and high-income clients. We have learnt the importance of treating each customer individually, each with unique needs and expectations. We also know that our clients expect to be treated fairly and with complete transparency,” he noted.

Fouché Brand, Executive Officer for Wealth at CPW, added that this holistic yet individualised approach to banking and wealth management is unique to Namibia.

“We are proud of our offering and invite prospective customers to join us on this exciting new journey,” he said.

Capricorn Private Wealth was established in 2017 to offer the Namibian market private banking and wealth management services.

The Brand Awards highlight the accomplishments of organisations that have performed remarkably well in areas including finance, education, hospitality, automotive, lifestyle, education, real estate and technology.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The People’s Republic of China has promised to continue its support to the people of Namibia in the fields of medicine and health.

The Deputy Director-General of Jiangsu Province’s Foreign Affairs Office, Yang Jing, in an interview with a media delegation from Namibia that visited China last week said her country is prepared to continue assisting Namibia and its people in the fields of health, education and trade.

Yang said in 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19, her country held numerous talks with the Namibian Government to twin the Windhoek Central Hospital and Katutura Intermediate Hospital with medical universities in China.

“These twinning talks were at an advanced stage between the two countries, and were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak,” she said.

Yang stated that her country still wishes to see the twinning talks resuscitated.

The cities of Nanjing, Yangzhou and Suzhou all fall under the Jiangsu Province, where Yang is a senior government official dealing with international affairs.

Nanjing City has an active twining agreement with the City of Windhoek dating back to 2015, she said.

Yang also mentioned that former President Sam Nujoma received military tactical training in the 1960s in Nanjing.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency