Namibia News

The newly appointed World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Namibia, Dr. Richard Banda officially presented his credentials to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Hon. Dr. Peya Mushelenga on 13 June 2024.

In a concerted effort to enhance the quality of healthcare services in Namibia, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other key stakeholders, has made significant steps in the development, launching and dissemination of the National Quality Policy and Strategy (NQPS) in 2022. The NQPS aimed at ensuring that the provision of quality healthcare services is a fundamental principle of the healthcare delivery system in Namibia.

Behaviors are an essential part of our health and wellbeing.  These include, among many others, drinking alcohol, smoking, being physically inactive, low vaccination uptake, overuse of antibiotics, and low adherence to treatment plans for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  Behaviors are complex and are affected by individual knowledge and motivation, as well as sociocultural and structural factors.

Namibia was one of the countries in the WHO Africa Region (AFRO) to conduct an assessment on the quality of care for maternal and child health in health facilities.  WHO’s vision for quality of care is for every pregnant woman and newborn to receive quality of care throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. The assessment that was conducted in March 2024 was supported by AFRO and aimed to determine the approaches countries employ and document lessons on institutionalizing quality of care for pregnant women and their newborns. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical importance of Infection Prevention Control (IPC) and viewed by many as a positive factor in strengthening IPC within countries. IPC measures have played a pivotal role in mitigating the spread of the virus, protecting public health, and alleviating strain on healthcare systems. These measures have served to safeguard not only healthcare workers but also the wider population, highlighting IPC's indispensable role in upholding healthcare safety standards.

In September 2022, Namibia joined other Member States in the WHO African Region to implement the Emergency Preparedness and Response Flagship (EPR) Initiative aimed at strengthening, emergency preparedness and response, disease surveillance, including laboratory capacities of countries across Africa. In line with the implementation of EPR flagship initiative, one of the key components calls for member states to have database of surge staff trained in emergency management and ready for deployment within 24 -48 hours to respond to public health events in country and beyond.

Access to information is key to realizing the right to health for all.  Health inequities are endemic to every region of the world, with rates of disease significantly higher amongst the poorest and most excluded groups.

There is increasing recognition that human behavior is a key determinant of health which can either enhance or comprise population health.   

Cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, other substance abuse, unhealthy dietary habits, sedentary lifestyles, and nonadherence to effective medication regimens are among the health-compromising behaviors identified and targeted for modification or prevention with consequent benefit to public health[1].

Namibia commemorated the World TB Day on 11 April in Luderitz under the theme, Yes! We can End TB.