COVAX – Windhoek Observer

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…

25 Feb

COVID-19 vaccine delivery shifts to March …as N$583m is budgeted

ObserverObserver MoneyAstraZeneca, COVAX, Covid-19

Andrew Kathindi Government now expects the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is being procured under the COVAX Facility, only in March. This is a shift from a January communique with the COVAX Facility, which had informed Minister of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) , Kalumbi Shangula, that the vaccine should be expected in the country by the middle or end of this month. “The COVAX Facility allocated doses of vaccines to Namibia are expected in March 2021,” stated Shangula. The AstraZeneca vaccine, however, has been found to be ineffective against the new variant in South Africa. According to the Health minister, the…

23 Feb

Namibia records 100 Covid-19 deaths in a month

ObserverObserver MoneyCOVAX, Covid-19

Kandjemuni Kamuiiri Namibia’s COVID-19 death toll continues to grow at an exponential rate, with the country recording over 100 deaths in one month. Since the outbreak of the virus up to January 21, Namibia had recorded a total of 300 deaths. The country’s COVID-19 deaths have now surpassed the 400 mark according to the latest figures from the Health ministry, with a total of 406 deaths recorded. Over the last three days, the Health Ministry has announced seven COVID-19 related deaths. Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, said the four new deaths were recorded in Windhoek, Onamdjokwe Mariental…

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…

15 Jan

COVID-19 vaccines are arriving soon; are we ready?

ObserverNational NewsCOVAX, Covid-19, Namibia

The rich countries of the world are already receiving their COVID-19 vaccines. Many have inoculated millions of their citizens so far. That won’t happen here; we can’t afford it, and we are not producing the vaccine locally. The ministry of health's announcement indicated that vaccine doses for 20 percent of the population (or about 508,000 people) could start in February. Namibia must handle the entire process with effectiveness, fastidiousness, trained workers, and discipline. We cannot afford to mess this up. We assume that our health officials are conquering the logistics of maintaining the extreme cold required for the doses' storage.…

17 Dec

Hospitals must be first in the money line

ObserverNational NewsCOVAX, Government, Katutura Hospital, Ministry of Health, Namibia

When hospitals run out of vital supplies, the government does not have its spending priorities straight. No matter what excuses are offered by the Executive Director of the Ministry of Health about why vital medicines are missing, they are insufficient. The reason medicines and supplies have run out in hospitals is not an error or a mix-up. Saying they are aware and "looking into it" falls short of the credibility mark. Let us stop saying that hospitals ran out of medicine or supplies. Let us speak the truth. Government has not provided funds so that state medical facilities can serve…