Pharmacists from the public and private sectors in the Zambezi Region have taken health information to the public through outreach activities in Katima Mulilo, promoting safe medicine use and disease prevention.

Held under the theme "Empowering Pharmacists for Healthier Futures", the activities aimed to raise awareness of pharmaceutical services and the importance of access to safe and effective medicines.

A pharmacist at Katima Central Pharmacy, Alec Kuudzadombo, said, "There are diseases that can be prevented when action is taken earlier, for example, things like hypertension. We give information on it. We were testing blood pressure and sugar also and giving information on the lifestyle and what you can do as an individual to mitigate or prevent these diseases."

The outreach also included radio discussions on medicine-related issues and traditional medicines.

A pharmacist at the Katima Mulilo State Hospital, Melisa Harris-Sibeya, says the initiative encourages the proper use of medicines, safe disposal of unused medicines and collaboration with traditional herbalists.

"as a pharmacy directorate in Namibia, we do recognise herbal medicine; it's actually part of our studies as well. As pharmacists, we are also taught in modules with regard to herbs, and we recognise them, and we also advise on the right doses. If there are herbalists around the town, they can contact us, and we can assist them on the right doses. We also assist them in knowing how to assist their clients, so we also advise our clients to be very cautious when they take herbal medicines, because there are some herbal medicines that cannot be combined with the traditional medicines that we use."

The initiative seeks to strengthen public awareness of pharmaceutical services and promote the safe use of conventional and traditional medicines across the region.