AUSSENKEHR – A fire at Aussenkehr farm in the ||Kharas Region tragically claimed the life of a 27-year-old man and destroyed 30 reed houses on Tuesday. Deputy Commissioner Nikodemus Mbango, the Namibian Police Force’s crime investigations coordinator for the region, identified the deceased as Willem Shiyoleni. The fire, which reportedly originated from Shiyoleni’s house, broke out around 01h30. The cause of the fire has not yet been established. Community members responded quickly, managing to extinguish the flames, but not before the destruction of numerous homes.
According to Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA), In a separate incident in Karasburg, a 28-year-old man, Jujean Bradley Jager, was found deceased in his room in an apparent suicide. According to Mbango, Jager’s body was discovered by his niece in the Westerkim residential area on Monday, around 12h45. He had returned home from work and was later found by his niece after asking for his room key. The families of both Shiyoleni and Jager have been notified of their losses. The police are continuing investigations into both cases to determine the circumstances surrounding these tragic events.
LUSAKA – Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila revealed that the Namibian government currently employs 1,600 Community Health Workers (CHWs). Speaking at the third international conference on public health in Africa in Lusaka, Zambia, she stated that the government-funded CHW Programme, initiated in 2012, aligns with the African Union’s goal of deploying two million CHWs across the continent.
According to Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA), this program has contributed significantly to Namibia achieving the UNAIDS 92-98-94 target, drastically reducing HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality. She also mentioned that 85% of healthcare services in Namibia are domestically financed. Additionally, the Prime Minister highlighted Namibia’s success in integrating COVID-19 vaccines into its routine vaccination program and underscored the country’s commitment to building robust and sustainable health systems, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goal 3 and the African Union Agenda 2063. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila also discussed the implementation of the One Health Approach in Namibia, which involves collaboration across human, animal, plant, and environmental health sectors. This approach is being formalized through the development of a National One Health Strategy, aiming to enhance public health emergency preparedness and response.