Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) – Page 3

25 Mar

96 succumb to COVID in one month …As Namibia surpasses the 500 mark in deaths

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Rose-Mary Haufiku and Maria Hamutenya Namibia’s COVID-19 death toll continues to grow at an exponential rate, with the country recording over 96 deaths in one month. Since the outbreak of the virus, the country’s COVID-19 deaths have now surpassed the 500 mark according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), with a total of 502 deaths recorded. This comes after four deaths were announced from Omuthiya, Tsumeb, Gobabis and Mariental districts. Namibia began its first roll-out of the Chinese manufactured Sinopharm vaccine last Friday after receiving 100 000 doses from China, and an additional…

11 Mar

Government to push ahead with AstraZeneca …despite confirming presence of resistant variant

ObserverObserver MoneyAstraZeneca, COVAX, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Andrew Kathindi and Kandjemuni Kamuiiri The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) is forging ahead with the procurement of AstraZeneca through the COVAX Facility, despite confirming that the South African variant of COVID-19 known as 501.V2, is in Namibia. Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula confirmed to Windhoek Observer that the Namibia will still receive AstraZeneca through the COVAX Facility, but, however downplayed its ineffectiveness against the variant. On why Namibia is going ahead with procuring a vaccine that studies deemed ineffective, Shangula said, “No, no, don't say so. You have no evidence or grounds to say it is useless. Those…

10 Mar

Three years later Mental Health Bill still not finalised

ObserverObserver MoneyMinistry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri and Rose-Mary Haufiku More than three years after Cabinet approved a Mental Health Bill, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) is yet to finalise and submit it to Parliament. Health Minister, Kalumbi Shangula, confirmed to the Windhoek Observer that the reforming and implementation of the new Bill is still in the process and the current Bill will be repelled. “We have been in consultation with various stake holders and we are now finalising the Bill, then it will go through to the Parliament.” He was however mum on when this would be done and how much…

11 Feb

Health Ministry tight lipped on AstraZeneca vaccine

ObserverObserver MoneyAstraZeneca, Ben Nangombe, Covid-19, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) remains tightlipped on whether Namibia is still going ahead to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine later this month. Or if it will opt out of the deal after it was found to be highly ineffective against a new variant of the virus, known as 501.V2, discovered in South Africa late last year. The lack of an official position by the ministry, comes after a technical team in the government department met this Monday to discuss the AstraZeneca vaccine following findings on its ineffectiveness by South African health officials. “If at…

09 Feb

Health Ministry scrambles after AstraZeneca vaccine failure

ObserverObserver MoneyAstraZeneca, COVAX, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) is scrambling for answers after it emerged that the AstraZeneca vaccine, the same vaccine Namibia is expected to receive through the COVAX facility, is not as effective against the new variant of COVID-19. MOHSS Executive Director, Ben Nangombe, told Windhoek Observer that the ministry’s technical team is meeting urgently. AstraZeneca is manufactured by a British–Swedish pharmaceutical company. "My technical team is discussing the matter right now in the context of those developments. We will then issue a position and the way forward, based on the available information. We are dealing…

04 Feb

No plans for ivermectin COVID-19 treatment

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Staff Reporter The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) has no plans to use the ivermectin drug, stating that there is not enough evidence to its effectiveness. The drug was approved for limited use by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, and by the Zimbabwean government. “In Namibia it is not registered for human use. There is always excitement when any drug is believed to be beneficial in treating COVID-19. We are familiar with the history of hydroxychloroquine. There was hype about it and many others and Ivermectin is just joining the long list of those types of…

20 Jan

No guarantee on Pfizer drug: Shangula

ObserverObserver MoneyMinistry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS), Pfizer

Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) said there is no guarantee that no one will die after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. Shangula said this after 33 people in Norway died after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine last week. “Each body reacts in its own way according to its makeup, it’s not something which you can predict,” Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula told Windhoek Observer. “You can have a completely healthy person without anything, get injected and immediately a reaction starts. It’s just like an allergic reaction to Penicillin or any other drug.” The Pfizer vaccine, which is…

19 Jan

Namibia in record COVID deaths

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS), Oshakati, Rundu, Swakopmund

Staff Writer A record eight people died from COVID-19 in one day, bringing the country’s related deaths to 293, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) announced on Monday. According to the ministry, four of the deaths announced, are from Oshakati district, two from Windhoek district, and one each from the districts pf Swakopmund and Rundu. New 390 COVID-19 cases were confirmed from 2 034 results received from the laboratories in the last twenty-four (24) hours, a position that saw the country cumulative confirmed cases breaching the 30 000 mark at 30 753. In the confirmed cases, 29 are…

17 Nov

Ministry dismisses COVID-19 second wave fears ..as country sees spike in cases

ObserverUncategorisedKalumbi Shangula, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS), Second wave of COVID-19

Andrew Kahindi The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) has dismissed concerns about a second wave of COVID-19 in Namibia. This is in the wake of a rising number of cases in the past week with 200 new cases recorded since last Friday, 13 November. A second wave of COVID-19 has swept across Europe where most countries beginning to see a spike in numbers again. In France, a second lockdown was announced after daily COVID-19-related deaths reached their highest levels since April. Germany recorded 23,542 cases last Friday, a record high according to media while Portugal is currently experiencing…

29 Oct

Government to re-look at COVID-19 measures …as second wave of pandemic hits Europe

ObserverObserver MoneyCovid-19, Forestry and Tourism, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS)

Andrew Kathindi The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has said it is monitoring the second COVID-19 wave currently occurring in Europe and will amend current measures as the situation on the ground unfolds. Chair of the Tourism Revival Initiative (TRI) within the Tourism Ministry, Seimy Christoph-Shidute told Windhoek Observer that the ministry is on alert and concerned by the developments in Europe and elsewhere. “Together with Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) we are making sure that in addition to the negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests that every tourist must provide, further health screening is done on arrival at…