The impact of climate change on the sector of health, the vulnerability of healthcare facilities and scientific research in climate change and health topped the agenda of a worskshop held Thursday in Tunis by the Health Ministry, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tunis Office. The sector's degress of readiness to adapt to these changes by means of reducing relevant risks was debated, the ministry said. Minister Ali Mrabet said there is need to take necessary measures to safeguard the gains made in the health sector and tackle new and emerging diseases by means of conducting prospective studies and developing strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change by 2035. Mrabet commended such initiatives which, he said, contribute to stepping up cooperation among all actors in such a way as to preserve natural resources and ensure health security and food self-sufficiency. Ibrahim EL-ZIK, WHO Representative (Tunis office), said the organisation is ready towork in collaboration with t he ministry and underpin its endeavours in implementation of a "One Health" approach - an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals and ecosystems. This is a collaborative approach to have a better understanding of and anticipate global health risks. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse The Ministry of Health and Social Services has announced the termination of a N.dollars 26 million tender awarded to a company to construct a neonatal health care facility in Swakopmund. The ministry decided to build the new neonatal intensive care ward in the Swakopmund Hospital in order to cater for the coastal area and its surrounding areas including Walvis Bay. The new 28-bed neonatal ward will consist of 12 standard care beds, six high care beds, six intensive care unit (ICU) and four isolation unit beds, along with a 12-bed mothers' lodging unit. Currently, the Swakopmund district has a maternal ward with a capacity of 26 beds and four neonatal incubators. According to Minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula in an interview with the media on Thursday, the tender which was awarded in November 2020, when construction commenced, was cancelled after the company failed to complete the construction in the agreed period of time of February 2022. 'The tender was awarded to a contractor and the work was supposed to b e completed but unfortunately there have been challenges with the contract and despite all the remedial actions the ministry instituted, it was not coming to completion. As a result, a decision was taken by the ministry to terminate the contract and we now have to issue a new contract,' the minister said. Shangula added that the ministry has revised the scope of work and what needs to be done before appointing a new contractor who will then complete the job. 'This is critically important because we know from experience that babies and mothers used to be transferred to Windhoek, which usually takes more than three hours to arrive. This puts the lives of both the mother and baby at risk, hence the need to have a place nearby in order to cater for the needs of mothers and babies in these surroundings,' he said. He noted that the ministry regrettably acknowledges the delays, however, there is a way forward and the project will be completed in due course. Source: The Namibian Press Agency