Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Children aged 12 years and older are now eligible for vaccination

Children aged 12 years and older are now eligible for vaccination

Tujoromajo Kasuto CHILDREN aged 12 years and older are now eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, as the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has decided to expand vaccination eligibility to children and adolescents aged 12-17 years. Vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness, hospitalisation and deaths due to COVID-19. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) has recommended that Pfizer/BionTech COVID-19 vaccine is suitable for use by persons aged 12 years and above. The same vaccine has been granted Emergency Use Authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in…
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Namibia records 56% spike in COVID-19 cases …amidst Omicron variant outbreak worldwide

Tujoromajo Kasuto Given the meteoric rise in the number of new infections of COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) is calling for people to observe preventive measures more than before. The MoHSS has today announced 184 new COVID-19 confirmed cases from 3 108 results in the last 24 hours reporting cycle representing a 56 percent increase compared to the 81 cases recorded yesterday. Khomas region reports the highest number of new cases totaling 140 making up 76 percent of the total confirmed cases. This is 40.2 percent increase from the 66 cases recorded yesterday. The new…
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Govt spends over N$200m annually on ARVs procurement

Govt spends over N$200m annually on ARVs procurement

Tujoromajo Kasuto The Government has invested and spent a significant amounts of resources to combat the scourge of HIV/AIDS in the country. In terms of procuring anti-retroviral medicines alone, Government spends in excess of N$200 million every year. These investments have produced the required results as witnessed in the reduction in the number of deaths in Namibia due to HIV/AIDS complications, says Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Kalumbi Shangula. He spoke today at the 2021 World Aids Day Commemoration in Outjo, in the Kunene region. “It is indeed pleasing that Namibia today proudly stands as one of the…
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Babies born early now survive because of improved medical, nursing care

Babies born early now survive because of improved medical, nursing care

Tujoromajo Kasuto It is a stark reality that approximately one in five babies born too early may not survive but medical and nursing care has improved significantly over the last 40 years. “Today, in Namibia, we can help babies who, 10 or 20 years ago would not have survived. Today, we are privileged to see tiny babies weighing about 1000 g or in some cases, less than that, survive and go home to their families,” says Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) Executive Director (ED), Ben Nangombe. Nangombe said this during the commemoration of World Prematurity Day today, which…
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Health Ministry purchases tent for N$4.5 million

Tujoromajo Kasuto IN a bizarre turn of events, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has purchased a 70-bed tented ward located in Windhoek Central Hospital for around N$4.5 million, after its rental agreement expired. Critics say the N$4.5 million could have been used to renovate the already existing hospital or build a concrete ward structure. The Executive Director (ED) of MoHSS, Ben Nangombe, says upon the ending of the renting period from July to October 2021, the ministry decided that the best option would be to buy the tent so that they would easily deployable whenever they need…
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Health ministry admits to unsafe abortions, calls on abortion law repeal

Health ministry admits to unsafe abortions, calls on abortion law repeal

Eba Kandovazu THE Executive Director (ED) in the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS), Ben Nangombe, says the Abortion and Sterilisation Act 2 of 1975 is an outdated law that should be repealed to suit the current contemporary issues. According to Nangombe, the 46-year-old law does not speak to the current realities happening today, saying it should be reviewed. “We will have to consult further and work around the desired legislation. Of course this will depend on what the public too has to say. Our position is that there is no dispute that there are situations where safe attempts…
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Health Ministry embarks on World Patient Safety Day

Health Ministry embarks on World Patient Safety Day

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri THE Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS)’s Executive Director (ED), Ben Nangombe, says the ministry and partners in health are joined the rest of the World in commemorating World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) today. MoHSS aims to reduce maternal mortality from 385 (Namibia Demographic and Health Survey 2013) to at least 200 per 100,000 live births by 2021/22 and to reduce newborn mortality from 20 to 10 per 1,000 live births by 2021/22. WPSD, marked annually on 17 September, was established by the 72nd World Health Assembly in May 2019, following the adoption of resolution WHA72.6 on…
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Northern Namibia may become epicentre

Northern Namibia may become epicentre

Tujoromajo Kasuto Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Executive Director, Ben Nangombe, is urging people in the north to comply with Covid-19 regulations or otherwise the northern part of the county might become the new epicentre. Nangombe however states that, “It is too early to say” to decide if as yet the north is the new Covid-19 epicentre in the country. He says people are urged to comply with the measures that are already in place, like the restriction of movement between the zones, to observe social distance, to sanitize, avoid unnecessary gatherings and so forth, as these measures…
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Doses of 250 000 of the Sinopharm vaccine arrives in the country

Doses of 250 000 of the Sinopharm vaccine arrives in the country

Tujoromajo Kasuto A consignment of 250 000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine bought by the Namibian government from China National Pharmaceutical Group, arrived in the country today 16 July, a day before scheduled. According to the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Deputy Executive Director, Petronella Masabane, the Government forked out about N$ 3.3 million, N$ 130.14 per dose for the 250 000 doses. , Kalumbi Shangula, announced the presence of the Delta variant as the country is currently experiencing a Third Wave of Covid-19 and too announced all vaccination sites were closed as from 13 July due to the…
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Worrying numbers . . . as the country surpasses 100 000 cases

Worrying numbers . . . as the country surpasses 100 000 cases

Andrew Kathindi Namibia has now surpassed 100 000 cases of Covid-19, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has revealed. This comes as the country has also surpassed a previous record of deaths recorded in a day with the ministry announcing 70 deaths on Thursday, 8 July. “We have breached the mark of 100 000 confirmed Covid-19 cases reported since the pandemic started. It is very concerning that we are seeing a sustained increase in the number of cases being reported in other regions outside Khomas region,” Health Minister, Kalumbi Shangula, says. The country currently now has 23 328…
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