UNAM Gā-aisib Repository
The UNAM Gā-aisib Repository serves as a central platform to preserve and showcase the university's scholarly output.
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Recent Submissions
Assessing healthcare accessibility and quality for Namibian learners under the National School Health Programme
(Namibia Educational Reform Forum Journal, 2024) Katangolo-Nakashwa, Ndasilohenda; Josua, Lukas Matati; Newaka, Ester
This study delved into the intricate landscape of analysing the National School Health Policy in
Namibia. By gathering data from the Khomas, Oshana, and Kavango regions, this research analysed
the perspectives of various stakeholders on the execution of the policy. Foucault’s theory of Power
Relations and Talcott Parson’s Social Action provided the appropriate theoretical conceptual tools to
unearth inequalities in the health policy implementation in Namibia. Power was considered a system
that was used to suppress learners from accessing quality health care. Methodologically, a mixed
approach was employed to unearth gaps in the challenges and successes of implementing the National
School Health Policy. Through interviews and focus group discussions, the study highlighted the
scarcity of essential resources and personnel dedicated to school health programmes, leading to
potential gaps in health service provision. The prevalent inequalities in the health sector emerged when
learners were insufficiently informed about their entitlements to medical care accessibility within the
school premises. Generally, there was a positive attitude toward the policy's implementation evidence
among stakeholders. Nevertheless, despite this attitude, inadequate accessibility of health care services
among learners was rampant in Namibia. Nonetheless, areas necessitating increased attention became
apparent, such as enhancing awareness across all groups involved in school health initiatives and to
pave the way for enhanced effectiveness, strategic recommendations were proposed such as addressing
the communication ambiguities. These included the enhancement of communication channels between
educators, administrators, and parents, ensuring ample availability of resources and personnel,
including an adequate number of trained nurses, with requisite governmental support. Moreover,
tackling barriers stemming from geographical distances or financial constraints that limit healthcare
access emerged as a crucial facet of policy improvement
An analysis of barriers to Public Sector innovation in Namibia
(Journal of Public Administration, 2022) Ouma-Mugabe, John; Matengu, Kenneth; Sifani, John; Lendevlo, Selma
This study is about barriers to public sector
innovation in Namibia. It is motivated by
the fact that while the Government of the
Republic of Namibia has adopted a wide
range of public policies and programmes,
and established institutions to promote the
efficiency and effectiveness of its public
sector, not much is known as to whether
these measures are enhancing innovation in
service delivery and public administration.
There is a paucity of evidence-based analysis
on public sector innovation in Namibia. The
study fills the gap and aims to stimulate further academic inquiry into this area. Based
on an online survey, face-to-face interviews,
and focus group discussions at regional
and national workshops, we identified and
analysed barriers to public sector innovation
in the country. The study recommends a
strategic policy framework and whole-of government institutional configuration to
spur on innovation in public service delivery and administration. It suggests further
research on the measurement of public sector
innovation, and detailed analysis of specific
barriers to innovation in public services
Effectiveness of maternity waiting homes in improving maternal and child health outcomes in Africa: A scoping review
(Journal of Global Health Science, 2025) Katangolo-Nakashwa, Ndasilohenda; Shilunga, Anna; Mahoto, Sylvia; Haufiku, Desderius; Alfeus, Anna; Iita, Hermine; Namidi, Mateus; Mitonga, Honore Kabwebwe
There is a strong correlation between the African continent's high maternal mortality
rates and the lack of access to birthing facilities. Maternity Waiting Homes (MWHs) offer
pregnant women in remote areas a secure place to stay near the time of delivery. This
scoping review aimed to systematically analyse the use, implementation, and effectiveness
of MWHs in improving maternal and child health outcomes in Africa. We systematically
searched electronic databases and resources, analysing 30 articles from 2010 to 2023 using
the Joanna Briggs Institute framework, guided by Arksey and O'Malley's 6-stage approach.
For transparency, we adhered to the modified Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic
reviews and Meta-Analyses framework for scoping reviews. MWHs were linked with lower
perinatal mortality and increased facility-based deliveries (adjusted odds ratio, 1.19; 95%
confidence interval [CI], 1.10–1.29) in 30 studies, the majority of which were conducted in
East Africa (relative risk, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.05–0.76). They offer clean settings, which mitigate
the danger of infection. However, they are constrained by socio-cultural obstacles and
a localised impact that lacks community integration, resulting in poor utilisation (10%–
50%). The successful reduction of maternal and perinatal mortality in Africa is contingent
upon the elimination of barriers to proactive utilization prior to labor and the integration
of MWHs with health systems. It is essential to adjust to local settings, such as those in
Namibia, in order to achieve a more extensive influence
Quantification and characterization of nutrients in Senegalia mellifera milled biomass, feed intake and nitrogen balance in female Boer goats fed with Senegalia mellifera bush-based feeds
(International Journal of Agricultural Research and Review, 2024) Epafras, A.; Mupangwa, Johnfisher; Charamba, Vonai; De la Puerta, M. L. F.
The objectives of this study were to quantify and characterise the nutritional content of milled
Senegalia mellifera milled biomass obtained from nine blocks at Neudamm Farm and to determine the dry
matter intake (DMI), apparent digestibility and nitrogen retention in female Boer goats fed with Senegalia
mellifera bush based feeds. Wood ash (WA), polyethylene glycol (PEG, 6 000) and biochar were evaluated as
tannin deactivation methods. The milled biomass of S. mellifera was mixed using a clean concrete mixer with
the following ingredients: yellow maize meal, liquid molasses; Marula oil press cake and coarse salt to
formulate a complete diet with 14% CP and 11MJ ME/kg. Detannification treatment methods were added at
a level of 5 g per day during feeding time. We used eight (8) female Boer goats weighing an average of 31.5
kg (± 2.5 kg) for the feeding experiment. We penned the goats individually in metabolic cages. Clean water
was available ad libitum to the goats during the entire feeding experiment. The goats were fed in a 4x4 cross
over Latin square design with four periods of experimental feeding. Each period lasted for 17 days, resulting
in 68 days of experimental feeding. The goats were fed twice daily at 09:00h and 16:00h. The level of dry
matter (DM) of feed offered was 4% of body weight. The results obtained in this study showed that there
was a significant difference (p <0.05) in the chemical composition of Senegalia mellifera milled biomass
harvested from the nine blocks at Neudamm Farm. The CP content of Senegalia mellifera milled biomass
ranged from 9.39 to 9.68 %DM while the NDF and ADF ranged from 59.17 to 64.33%DM and 43.77 to
48.01%DM, respectively. The condensed tannins (CT) content from all blocks did not differ (p >0.05) and had
a mean of 0.02 to 0.03%DM as leucocyanidin equivalent (LE Absorbance at 550 nm). The apparent digestibility
coefficients of DM, OM and NDF were not significantly different among treatments and the control diet (p
>0.05). Goats fed biochar treated diet had the highest nitrogen intake of 13.74g/d (p <0.05), faecal nitrogen
of 8.43g/d (p <0.05) and nitrogen retention of 5.11g/d (p <0.05), while goats fed the control feed (CNT), PEG
and WA were similar (p >0.05). All treatments resulted in a positive nitrogen retention (p >0.05) with mean
values ranging from 3.79 to 5.11 g/d. The study concluded that, there was a significant difference (p <0.05)
in the chemical composition of S. mellifera milled biomass collected from nine blocks at Neudamm Farm.
Given the high CP content of the S. mellifera, this fodder resource can be considered a suitable supplement
for poor quality (low N content) natural pastures and crop residues such as grass hay, straw and stover. The
study also concluded that, there was a significant difference (p <0.05) in the DMI, and nitrogen balance in
Boer goats fed with A. mellifera feeds treated with Wood ash (WA), Polyethylene glycol (PEG, 6 000) and
Biochar (BIO). The study therefore recommends that each detannification method should be tested at
different rates of inclusion in S. mellifera bush based feed resources
Utilising encroacher bush in animal feeding
(Springer, 2023) Mupangwa, Johnfisher; Lutaaya, Emmanuel; Shipandeni, Maria Ndakula Tautiko; Kahumba, Absalom; Charamba, Vonai; Shiningavamwe, Katrina Lugambo
Livestock production is a major economic and livelihood activity in
Namibia which contributes at least 75% to total agricultural output. The industry
faces challenges including prolonged droughts, increased production costs, bush
encroachment, variable climatic conditions and disease outbreaks. Bush encroachment and prolonged drought spells pose a major concern as they result in reduced
carrying capacity of rangelands. The encroacher woody browse plants are potential
animal feeds as they provide considerable amount of biomass from leaves and small
twigs as well as pods that provide nutrients to ruminant livestock during the long dry
season. Converting the biomass from the encroacher bushes into livestock fodder is
one best management practice of controlling bush encroachment while increasing
the availability of ruminant feeds sustainably without competing with human food
production. Our chapter provides data on the nutritional content of encroacher
bushes in different seasons and feeding value of bush-based feeds as an alternative
feed resource for ruminant livestock. The chapter presents the opportunity and
evidence that shows that utilising encroacher bush-based feeds in ruminant livestock
feeding results in animal growth and the production of quality carcasses that
contribute to human protein food. We conclude that the utilisation of rangeland
encroacher bush species in sub-Saharan Africa in bush-based feeds provides sufficient nutrients to support improved ruminant livestock production and contributes to
rangeland ecosystems restoration
Climate change adaptation strategies among smallholder livestock farmers in Namibia's Omaheke Region, Namibia
(Discover Sustainability, 2025) Siririka, Ndjipua Avihe Tjaondjo; Charamba, Vonai; Mupangwa, Johnfisher; Shipandeni, Maria N. T.; Kahumba, Absalom
The challenges of climate change are continuously increasing, constituting a major threat to livestock production, which
is more than a socio-economic cornerstone in Namibian rural communal farmers, contributing approximately two-thirds
of the country’s agricultural GDP. Climate variability, which may be in the form of drought, very high temperatures, floods
and frosts has been reported to have detrimental effects on feed and water availability, leading to reduced livestock
weight, growth, production and reproductive performance, and ultimately high mortality. Understanding smallholder
farmers’ socio-psychological antecedents such as knowledge, attitudes and perceptions and the way they influence their
level of adaptation to CC mitigation strategies needs to be assessed, as it guides CC policy formulation and intervention
programmes. The study investigated CC perception and adaptation strategies for livestock farmers in Omaheke Region.
Data were gathered from (n=80) purposively sampled farmers in Epukiro and Otjombinde constituencies based on
livestock ownership. The study revealed that 93.8% of the respondents were aware that the climate is changing, with
attributes such as very high and very low temperatures, high and low rainfall, and drought having been noticed. Climate
change has been attributed to both human and natural activity. The study observed that the implementation of CC
adaptation strategies in livestock agriculture is low, thus recommends that the improvement of adaptation techniques
involving employing extension services, promotion of farmer-to-farmer extension, and utilization of various information
sources of climate knowledge, such as farmers’ associations and social organizations, should be the future policy priority
Indigenous knowledge of browse species and nutritional quality of dominant indigenous browse species in the Kavango West Region of Namibia
(Discover Sustainability, 2024) Hamukwaya, Rosa N.; Charamba, Vonai; Kahumba, Absalom; Shipandeni, Maria N. T.; Mupangwa, Johnfisher
Livestock production is crucial to the livelihoods of rural Namibians but highly constrained by feed shortages due to
climate change and bush encroachment. The study investigated the grazing and feeding practices and indigenous
knowledge of browsable and non-browsable species by interviewing 30 small-scale farmers in the Kavango West Region.
It assessed the nutritive value for the three most commonly identified browsable species. The study observed that
livestock relies on communal rangeland, roadside, and riverside grazing, with supplements from crop residues during
the dry seasons. However, most farmers experience feed shortages mainly in the dry season, which results in decreased
livestock productivity. Farmers are knowledgeable on browsable and non-browsable woody species in their locality, but
most do not harvest pods, leaves and twigs to supplement their animals in the dry season, citing labour shortage, and
they are not aware that the bush species resources can be harvested and be used during seasons when feed resources are
scarce. The nutritive value analysis indicated that there is a need for strategic supplementation of the browsable species
for them to be effectively utilised as livestock feed, thus farmers must be capacitated on when and how to utilise these
species when herbaceous pasture grasses and legumes are senescent as well as how to harvest forage alongside rivers
and roads for stall feeding to avoid accidents. Our findings will be important for policy formulation in trying to come up
with better ways of mitigating the consequences of climate change
Phytochemical content, antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities, of leaves extracts of Eucalyptus globulus, Peltophorum africanum and Vangueria infausta
(Discover Agriculture, 2024) Moshidi, Portia Mamothaladi; Mupangwa, Johnfisher; Muya, Claude Mukengela; Washaya, Soul
This study aimed to determine the extraction yield, phytochemical content, antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities of leaves extracts from Eucalyptus globulus, Peltophorum africanum, and Vangueria infausta. Leaves were harvested, separated from the stems, and dried for chemical analysis. Crude and oil extraction, antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, and minimum inhibitory concentration were determined, and tannins, flavonoids and alkaloids were quantified by standard protocols. The phenolic, flavonoids, and condensed tannin contents were higher (P < 0.05) in V. infausta extract than in E. globulus and P. africanum. The radical scavenging activities were higher (P < 0.05) in V. infausta, E. globulus than in P. africanum. The antibacterial activity was lower (P < 0.05) for P. africanum and E. globulus oil, and was strongly related to the presence of phenolics and flavonoids. The lack of toxicity of plant extracts suggests that extracts can be used as animal feed additives with no risk of toxicity. Vangueria infausta, Eucalyptus globulus had the highest antioxidant capability and can thus modulate nutrient metabolism in animals
Effects of feeding incremental levels of Spirulina platensis on feed intake and growth performance of Boschveld and Potchefstroom Koekoek chicken breeds
(Discover Agriculture, 2024) Nambahu, Aino; Petrus, Ndiilokelwa Patricia; Mupangwa, Johnfisher; Charamba, Vonai; Lutaaya, Emmanuel
spirulina is increasingly being used in feed manufacturing because of its high nutritional value, especially proteins, for
humans and animals. This study examined the feed intake and growth performance of Boschveld and Potchefstroom
Koekoek chicken breeds when soybean meal was substituted with incremental levels of Spirulina platensis. The experimental design was a 2×4 factorial with repeated measures over a 12-week period, with breed and diet as factors. The
experimental unit was a cage holding 3 birds, with 3 cages allocated to each breed-diet combination, hence 36 birds per
breed. The diets were: 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% using dried Spirulina platensis powder to replace soybean meal per 100 kg
of feed. Chickens fed control diet consumed more (P<0.05) feed than those fed Spirulina-containing diets. Diet affected
(P<0.0001) final weights (g) of the birds which were 1093.2, 921.6, 762.8 and 771.2 for 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% inclusion
levels of Spirulina platensis, respectively. Boschveld chickens had better average daily gain compared to Potchefstroom
Koekoek at week 15–16. Averaged over the 12 weeks, the control diet gave better (P<0.0001) average daily gain (9.42 g/d)
than the Spirulina-containing diets. Over the 12 weeks, the control diet had a more desirable (7.79 vs. 8.17, P=0.01) feed
conversion ratio than the Spirulina-containing diets Spirulina at a level of 5–10% can be used as a protein supplement
in indigenous chicken feeds because it resulted in growth performance close to control diets
Nutritional assessment of three baled rice straw varieties intended for use as ruminant feed in Namibia
(Cogent Food & Agriculture, 2021) Madzingira, Oscar; Hepute, Venaune; Mwenda, Evelyn Nanjeke; Kandiwa, Erick; Mushonga, Borden; Mupangwa, John F.
This study determined and compared the proximate and chemical composition of Angola, IRGA 418 and SUPA rice straw varieties harvested and baled in 2016 and 2017. In both 2016 and 2017, SUPA straw had the highest dry matter (DM) content (960.7 ± 0.50 g/kg and 939.4 ± 0.10 g/kg), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (575.2 ± 9.90 g/kg and 594.7 ± 9.00 g/kg), acid detergent fibre (ADF) levels (374.7 ± 6.30 g/kg and 379.9 ± 9.90 g/kg) and cellulose (CL) content. Angola straw had the highest crude protein (CP) content (39.1 ± 2.00 g/kg, p < 0.05; 60.7 ± 2.70 g/kg) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) concentration (p < 0.05) in both years. Organic matter (OM), hemicellulose (HC), ash, fat and mineral content varied with year in all rice straw varieties. Angola straw had the lowest metabolisable energy (ME) of the three straw varieties. All straw varieties were deficient in at least one or more essential nutrient components. Nutritional and chemical composition varied with rice straw variety, year of cultivation and baling. Therefore, pre-treatment to improve digestibility and supplementation of deficient nutrients is recommended for effective use as ruminant feed. IRGA 418 straw was recommended as the best choice for ruminant feeding based on higher digestibility (IVOMD) and ME values