Oshana Governor Elia Irimari says the persistent drought has a significant negative impact on families in urban centres within his region and that they too deserve to get food aid to help them get through the drought.

Against this background, the Oshana Regional Council found it fit to hand over food parcels valued at N$135,000 to three of its local authorities.

The towns of Ongwediva, Ondangwa, and Oshakati received 737 tinned fish as well as 184 bottles of cooking oil and 10 kg bags of maize meal to assist the families in these towns in getting a meal on their tables.

A brighter future awaits four offenders who are incarcerated at the Windhoek Correctional Facility after they competed and bagged two silver medals at a recent 3rd National Skills Competition (NSCO) at Ongwediva.

The performance and sportsmanship displayed by the offenders left a mark on the Deputy Executive Director in the Ministry of Higher Education, Training, and Innovation, Dr. Raimo Naanda, who, in his personal capacity, sourced sponsorships to enable them to further their abilities once they are released.

The two-day Investment Conference began this morning in Ongwediva, bringing together local and international business professionals.

This much-awaited second conference, aimed at outlining the economic advancement of the Oshana Region, is held under the theme "Igniting Economic Growth".

The conference brought together senior government officials, including ministers and regional authorities, who acknowledged its importance in promoting cooperation between the public and private sectors.

Namibia is said to be behind in terms of medical research, with most of the studies done outside the country.

This came out during a health seminar and annual general meeting for the Namibia Medical Society (NMC) held at Ongwediva.

The seminar covered different health-related topics, including pharmaceutical procurement, endoscopic procedures that identify the presence of stones, tumours, or narrowing in the biliary and pancreatic ducts, and intestinal failure.

The topics were presented by experts who expressed concern over the lack of local medical research.