馃嚦馃嚘NamibiaSouthern Africa
Namibia declares cholera outbreak over in Grootfontein and Opuwo districts
via The Namibian2 min read
Namibia's Ministry of Health and Social Services has officially declared the cholera outbreak in the Grootfontein and Opuwo health districts over. Health minister Esperance Luvindao announced the containment after more than 28 days without new confirmed cases, aligning with international public health standards and epidemiological best practices. The outbreak was initially declared on 27 November 2025, following a confirmed case in Grootfontein on 19 November 2025, with additional cases in Opuwo by 26 January. A total of 282 suspected cases were reported, with 82 laboratory-confirmed cases 52 in Grootfontein and 30 in Opuwo. One fatality occurred in Opuwo. The successful containment was attributed to a coordinated multi-sectoral response involving the government of Namibia and development partners, including the World Health Organisation, the United States Centres for Disease Control, the United Nations Children鈥檚 Fund, and the Robert Koch Institute. Minister Luvindao thanked various government sectors and regional authorities for their support. Despite the end of the current outbreak, Luvindao cautioned that the threat of cholera persists and urged the public to maintain high hygiene standards, use safe drinking water, ensure proper sanitation, and seek early medical attention to prevent resurgence.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will travel to Pretoria on Thursday to co-chair the fourth session of the Namibia-South Africa Bi-National Commission BNC with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday. This summit concludes a week-long program that included senior officials meetings and a ministerial session. The BNC serves as the highest bilateral cooperation platform between the two nations, aiming to review and strengthen ties across political, economic, legal, security, and social sectors. Key discussions will focus on trade and investment, border management, infrastructure and energy, disaster management, defence, and regional cooperation, with several agreements expected to be signed. A South Africa-Namibia Business Forum, themed 'Driving Regional Industrialisation, Investment and Sustainable Growth through Strategic South Africa-Namibia Partnerships,' will run concurrently. This forum will gather government leaders, investors, and business representatives to enhance commercial ties, promote investment, and encourage private sector involvement, also focusing on expanding bilateral trade, developing regional value chains, and supporting job creation. Namibia and South Africa are significant trading partners, sharing over 150 bilateral agreements and are members of the Southern African Development Community and the Southern African Customs Union. President Nandi-Ndaitwah is scheduled to return to Namibia on Friday after the summit.
A young Namibian women's hockey squad is set to compete against South Africa in a four-match test series in Cape Town next week, starting July 20. This series will serve as preparation for South Africa's Hockey World Cup campaign in Belgium and the Netherlands next month. For Namibia's coach, Trevor Cormack, the series marks the beginning of their journey towards the Africa Games in Egypt next year. South Africa is Africa's top-ranked field hockey team, globally ranked 18th, while Namibia is ranked 50th. The Namibian team will include players from the national under-18 and under-21 squads, alongside experienced internationals such as Petro Stoffberg, Sunelle Pretorius, and Azaylee Philander. Captain Kiana Cormack has withdrawn from the squad. South Africa will field a strong team with experienced international players and members of their under-21 squad, including Ntsopa Mokoena and Caylin Maree. Coach Cormack anticipates a challenging tournament, viewing it as an opportunity to expose Namibian players to a higher level of competition and work towards reclaiming the second-place ranking in Africa.
Namibia has selected a 15-player national netball squad for an upcoming series against Zimbabwe in Swakopmund next month. This series will serve as crucial preparation for the Netball World Cup Africa qualifiers, scheduled for September 12-26 in Nairobi, Kenya. National coach Julene Meyer expressed confidence in the team's physical condition and their potential to qualify for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia. Africa will have four representatives at the World Cup; South Africa and Uganda have already qualified based on their world rankings. The remaining two spots will be filled by the top teams from the Africa qualifier. While Malawi and Zimbabwe are considered favorites, Meyer believes Namibia, currently ranked 15th, has the talent to secure a qualification spot. The Namibian squad includes six players from the MTC Premier League champions, Namibia Correctional Service, and two from Extreme Eagles. The 2027 Netball World Cup will feature 16 teams, with the top six ranked teams qualifying automatically and the remaining 10 spots determined through five regional continental qualifiers. Hosts Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, and England have also already qualified.