21 000 people living with HIV-AIDS at Oshana

Oshana governor Elia Irimari says the number of people actively receiving HIV-AIDS treatment in the region remains high at 21 053 people, while 487 tuberculosis (TB) cases have been detected and treated in the region.

Irimari said this in his state of the region address at Oshakati on Friday.

He said the Ministry of Health and Social Services has managed to appointed 10 medical specialists at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital.

“The Oshana health directorate further accomplished its plans to reduce maternal deaths from 13 to eight during the year under review,” he said.

Irimari said the government has provided financial, material and food items to the community affected by flooding and drought in the region.

He said this includes 860 bags of butternuts and 706 bales of grass from the Office of the President.

The Office of the Vice President has provided food items to 460 households, while the Office of the Prime Minister has supported 134 households in the region, he said.

The Oshana Regional Council has provided food support to 750 households at a cost N$100 000.

“The private sector provided financial resources, materials and food items to support the communities in need at a combined cost of N$650 000.

“These stakeholders include the Road Fund Administration, Bank Windhoek, Old Mutual, Sanlam, Namdia, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform,” the governor said.

Irimari said the region needs to work together in implementing an education funding framework for institutions of higher learning, and increased funding for technical vocational education, research and technology in order to benefit from the fourth Industrial Revolution.

He said during the last academic year, the Oshana region has not achieved its desired academic performance in Grade 10 and Grade 12 results.

He said the attained pass rates of 25,3%, 22,9% and 28,8% for grades 10, 11 and 12, respectively, are very low.

“Therefore we need to do more this academic year to improve our regional performance. I am urging all stakeholders to embrace this important responsibility collectively,” he said.

Irimari said at tertiary level, a total of 1 623 students in the region have graduated from various institutions of higher learning.

He said this is commendable, but also slightly lower than the performance during the previous academic year.

He said 620 graduates from the University of Namibia’s Hifikepunye Pohamba campus have graduated, 165 students from the Oshakati campus, and 122 from the José Eduardo dos Santos engineering campus.

Cosdec Ondangwa has produced 150 graduates, Valombola Vocational Training Centre 519 graduates, and Tulipohamba Training and Assessment Institute 47.

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