The Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport and Culture Ms Sanet Steenkamp today inaugurated the first-ever consulting room of University of Namibia Veterinary Academic Hospital in Katima Mulilo.
“I am informed that this is second branch of the veterinary hospital headquartered in Windhoek. I am further informed that since inception, the School of Veterinary Medicine has always considered the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) as an anchor of Namibia’s veterinary and wildlife veterinary medicine training program,” Steenkamp said at an event attended by UNAM’s Vice Chancellor Professor Kenneth Matengu, Zambezi Governor Mrs Dorothy Kabula, and other dignitaries.
“Thus, today, as Minister and as Ministry we are doing more than opening a building. We mark a milestone of vision and service, a step forward in our shared commitment to research, education, innovation, community development, and of course our commitment to animal health.”
Steenkamp further stated that the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture is “deeply committed to ensuring that our institutions do more than teach – they must transform.
“Education must be relevant, it must be responsive, it must be intentional, it must be research focused, and it must teach beyond the classroom into the lives of our people.”
Steenkamp said the new veterinary consulting room is an excellent example of how UNAM is using its massive number of expertise in different fields of science to serve both students and community.
The facility will be manned by four specialised vets one of which will be fully dedicated to patient consultations.
“This Consulting Room with a pharmacy will serve various purposes. First and foremost, it gives our final year veterinary students real-world, hands-on experience of a region that reflects the basic realities of Namibia’s animal health challenges – and its opportunities.
“Second, the facility will provide not only training of students, but essential veterinary services to farmers, pet owners, and custodians of the magnificent wildlife in the Zambezi region.
“It will improve access to clinical care, strengthen local animal health systems, and contribute to food security through better livestock productivity.”
In a world increasingly affected by climate change, pandemics, and food system vulnerabilities, the minister said that the veterinary medicine is no longer a niche field, but a strategic pillar in national resilience and health security.
In the photo: Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Art and Culture Sanet Steenkamp at Katima Mulilo. Also in another image is Steenkamp with Zambezi Governor Ms Dorothy Kabula.
