Day: May 6, 2024

EKULO: The Directorate of Education, Arts and Culture in the Oshikoto Region and its stakeholders have proposed the re-introduction of a trimester system for schools from 2025 onwards.

A total of 46 participants that included learners, teachers, parents and the public at large gathered on Monday at Ekulo Secondary School for a regional consultation meeting on the government school calendar for the 2025 academic year.

The meeting was about concerns and proposals aired around semesters (two terms per year) and trimesters (three terms).

The semester concerns revolve around the length of the semester, fatigue among learners and difficulty in curriculum planning. The trimester concerns revolve around the need to adjust the calendar leading to learners having their holiday during the cold winter of June/July, minimising the examination time and maximising teaching time.

Hai//om Traditional Authority vice chairperson, Ndapandula Kamati said that the trimester is best because it gives learners time to prepare for exams at the end of the year.

The education directorate is gathering the feedback and forwarding it to the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture Executive Director, Sanet Steenkamp.

Oshikoto education directorate head, Aletta Eises meanwhile also urged parents to start monitoring their children and setting a good example for them.

‘Parents must set a good example for our learners for the best interest of our learners,’ said Eises, noting that the parents are on the ground and they hold the huge responsibility to uplift and motivate learners to become responsible citizens in future.

Eises also pointed out that many Grade 10 learners in the region are transferred to Grade 11 this year and this might not produce positive results compared to the previous Grade 11 results that put the region at position 4 in the 2023 results.

Oshikoto Region in 2024 has 81 727 learners and 382 teachers in 229 schools.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

ONALUNIKE: Two male suspects were arrested after they were allegedly found in possession of a live pangolin in the Oshikoto Region on Sunday.

The Namibian Police Force’s (NamPol) Crime Investigations Coordinator for Oshikoto, Deputy Commissioner Titus Ekandjo, told Nampa the men, aged 30 and 34, were arrested around 20h00 in the Nehale Lyampingana Constituency during a joint anti-poaching operation between the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) and the Ministry of Environment.

‘The pangolin is valued at N.dollars 50 000. The suspects are expected to appear in the Tsumeb Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday,’ Ekandjo said.

Meanwhile, the police also reported that an Angolan national thought to be between 25 and 30 years old died after being run over on the B1 road between Omuthiya and Ondangwa.

The accident occurred around 19h20 on Saturday while the man was crossing the road.

The man was employed at a bar in Onalunike village.

‘It is alleged that the driver of a white Toyota pick-up with Windhoek registration was driving from Omuthiya towards Ondangwa direction and allegedly ran over a pedestrian who was trying to cross the road,’ Ekandjo said.

The man died on the spot and his body was transported to the Omuthiya Police Station mortuary.

His next of kin have not yet been informed and no arrests have been made in connection with the matter.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

OSHAKATI: A total of 1 060 cadet constables consisting of 679 males and 381 females from the Ruben ‘Danger’ Ashipala and Pius Joseph Kaundu Police Training Centres, graduated from the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) Basic Training Course 1 on Monday.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony held at the Oshakati Independence Stadium, President Nangolo Mbumba said the new recruitment will enable the police to open several new police stations and police posts across the country, while strengthening police operations nationwide.

According to Mbumba, some new officers will be posted to guard the country’s borders to bolster security and ensure that criminal elements are prevented from entering Namibia and disturbing the peace and stability that Namibia continues to enjoy.

‘Peace, safety and security are integral constituents for a nation’s development and its citizens’ wellbeing. Violence, unrest and crime are impediments to our developmental objectives. Hence, as police officers, you are not only the guardians of our peace and security, but also key role players in our economic development,’ he said.

The president said the graduates are joining a very important government organisation that strives to improve the personal safety and national security of the Namibian nation, therefore, the new recruits should take pride in their profession and uphold the reputation of NamPol as brave, patriotic, disciplined and impartial enforcers of the Namibian laws.

Speaking at the same occasion, NamPol Inspector-General, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo reaffirmed their commitment to excellence and justice.

‘Together, we will continue to uphold the proud legacy of the Namibian Police Force that was laid by our predecessors and to ensure the safety and security of all our citizens and visitors alike,’ he said.

He then urged the graduates to strive to the best of their ability to uphold the core values of the organisation namely; courtesy, fairness, friendliness, transparency, helpfulness, non-discrimination and accessibility, integrity, communication and information.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: Namibia has been awarded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with the Silver Tier certificate on the path to elimination of mother-to-child transmission of the Hepatitis B virus and the Bronze Tier on the path to elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV as a public health problem.

WHO certifies a country as having attained silver tier status when the hepatitis B vaccine is given to 50 per cent or more newborn babies, while bronze certification is awarded to countries which have reduced the vertical transmission of HIV from mother to child to less than 5 per cent.

Accepting the awards here on Monday during the opening ceremony of the African Health Workforce Investment Forum, Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Kalumbi Shangula said Namibia has been implementing a programme for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV since 2002. In this regard, the country made significant progress by the end of 2023 with 98.5 per cent of babies born to HIV-positive mothers being HIV-free.

‘For a country with a high HIV and hepatitis B virus burden to be recognised to be on the path to elimination of these diseases is a significant achievement. These achievements came after many years of investments to offer free services and deliberate consistent actions in the PMTCT programme,’ he said.

Shangula noted the overall Mother-to-Child Transmission rate of HIV was 4.02 per cent in 2020, and 4.41 per cent in 2021, which translated to a Mother-to-Child Transmission case rate of 603 per 100 000 live births in 2020, and 594 in 2021.

He further added that ART (anti-retroviral therapy) coverage among HIV-positive pregnant women was 98.4 per cent in 2020 and 98.4 per cent in 2021.

On her part, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the recognition not only speaks to the important work done by the Government of Namibia in the sub-sector of public health and the healthcare professionals who have dedicated their lives to this cause, but is also a testament to the resilience, the unity, and unwavering commitment of the Namibian people as a whole.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti handed over the award during the opening ceremony of the African Health Workforce Investment Forum.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter was launched on Monday during a continental forum organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The charter, which was developed by the WHO in collaboration with African Member States, aims to stimulate and align sustainable long-term investment in health workforce education and employment creation.

Speaking at the opening of the Africa Health Workforce Investment Forum in Windhoek, Prime Minister of Namibia, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila emphasised the significance of investing in the healthcare workforce throughout the continent.

‘Primarily, investments in the African health workforce must first and foremost aim at building capacity and skills. Not only operational skills for those handling patients in wards of health facilities, but also skills to train, to teach and to mentor. Skilled and capable healthcare professionals are what will make or break healthcare service delivery on this continent,’ Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.

Secondly, investments in the health workforce of Africa must aim to engender a sense and ethos of service and compassion, she continued.

‘It is now more common than not, to encounter patients who have experienced less than adequate services at the hands of some healthcare workers. There is a need, therefore, to promote greater motivation and a sense of duty in our healthcare workers,’ she noted.

The three-day forum is being held under the theme ‘Aligning and Stimulating Investments to Address Health Workforce Challenges in Africa’ – which WHO Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti said underscored the importance of strategic investments and aligning efforts to overcome our challenges.

‘Our new analysis suggests that the African region will face a shortage of 6.1 million health workers by 2030 if business remains as usual. This will greatly affect our pace in tackling the disease burden with effective service interventions – across health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation,’ Moeti said.

Of the anticipated shortage, about 5.3 million of these health workers will be doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and dentists, she said.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the African Centre for Disease Control Dr Jean Kaseye also welcomed the launch of the Africa Health Workforce Investment Charter.

‘It is my hope that this will mobilise and sustain political and financial commitment and foster inclusiveness and collaboration across sectors as part of investment in the development, performance, and retention of the health workforce in AU Member States,’ he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

WINDHOEK: The African Region has a ratio of 1.55 health professionals per 1 000 population, which is alarmingly low compared to the World Health Organisation (WHO) threshold density of 4.45 health workers per 1 000 population required to provide critical health services and attain Universal Health Coverage.

This was stated by the Namibian Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula, on Monday at the Africa Health Workforce Investment Summit in Windhoek.

‘This severe scarcity of health workers in Africa weakens and limits access to the provision of health services across the continent. This is despite the fact that some countries in the region have made commendable and exemplary efforts to bolster the health workforce, domestically,’ he said.

Shangula also said that Africa faces numerous health workforce challenges, ranging from shortages of trained professionals to issues of retention and distribution with many healthcare workers experiencing burnout due to long working hours and the sheer disproportionate numbers of patients and clients they must attend to in their daily work.

These challenges make it difficult for public health systems on the continent to provide responsive, comprehensive and high-quality healthcare to all citizens, particularly in remote and underserved areas, within the ethos of Universal Health Coverage, he said.

He added that in Namibia, the public health system continues to face increased human resources for health demands.

According to him, the Government of Namibia recognises that having an adequate and equitably distributed functional health workforce is a prerequisite to achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

‘Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Namibia commissioned a Situation Analysis and Health Labour Market projections to inform the development of a National Human Resources for Health Strategic Plan. The Plan is designed to guide health workforce interventions in support of the efforts to achieve our priorities articulated in the Fifth National Development (NDP5), the Harambee Prosperity Plan II and Vision 2030,’ Shangula said.

The Plan also takes into account the imperatives of the need to implement the goals and targets of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage, he said.

The Plan envisages that by 2030, Namibia will have a quality fit-for-purpose health workforce that is equitably distributed and efficiently utilised to address the health needs of the population towards the attainment of Universal Health Coverage, the minister said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency