Lylie Joel

NKURENKURU  – Namibia welcomed 161 newborns on New Year’s Day, marking a slight decrease from the previous year, when 162 babies were born on the same day.

Ohangwena region once again recorded the highest number of births, with 35 babies born on 01 January 2025.

Walters Kamaya, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, said of the 161 babies born, 90 are girls and 71 boys.

Kamaya further gave a break down of the regional distribution of births, saying Ohangwena led with 35 babies, followed by Khomas with 19, Kavango East 16, Zambezi 14 and Erongo with 13 births.

Oshana region recorded 12 births, while Kavango West recorded nine, Kunene and Omusati eight each, Otjozondjupa seven, Omaheke and Oshikoto six each and Hardap and ||Kharas had four each.

Namibia’s first baby of 2025 was a girl, born at 00h01 at Tondoro Health Centre in Kavango West and she weighed 2.5 kilogrammes. The second baby, weighing 2.8 kilogrammes, was delivered at 00h10 at the Katutura State Hospital in Khomas region. The last baby of the day was born at 22h00 at the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital in Oshana region, weighing 3.4 kilogrammes. Kamaya reported that all deliveries did not have serious complications, with most births occurring naturally and a few via Caesarean section.

Some of the mothers of the New Year’s Day babies shared their experiences with Nampa. Among them was 40-year-old Anesita Sikota from the Zambezi region, one of 14 women who gave birth in the region on 01 January 2025. Sikota expressed happiness at welcoming her fifth child on such a special day.

“It’s a blessing to give birth on New Year’s Day to my last-born,” said Sikota, who delivered her son, Bucwane Chiziza, at 07h33.

Similarly, 24-year-old Kaarina Ngesheya from Khomas expressed gratitude for a smooth delivery, describing her baby boy as a blessing.

“It is really a blessing because it feels like God is reconsidering His plans for me. I gave birth at 39 weeks, and it’s awakened something in me to reconstruct my 2025 resolutions,” said Ngesheya.

For 28-year-old Melissa Kauatojao, the day was extraordinary as she gave birth to a baby girl on what was her own birthday. Overwhelmed with excitement at becoming a mother, she said she looks forward to sharing and celebrating future birthdays with her daughter.

“We will be celebrating our birthdays on the same day as I was also born on 01 January. To me this is a double blessing to start the new year,” said Kauatojao. She also expressed gratitude to the medical staff, praising their kindness and support during her delivery.

Additionally, Namibia recorded 166 births on Christmas Day – 82 girls and 84 boys. The Khomas region recorded the highest number of births at 34, followed by Ohangwena with 21 and Otjozondjupa with 18. -Nampa