Namibia News

On 13 June 2025, Namibia commemorated the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) in Outjo, Kunene region. The event was commemorated under the theme “Unmasking the appeal”. This year’s WNTD campaign aims to reveal the strategies employed by the tobacco and nicotine industries to make their harmful products enticing, particularly to young people. By exposing these tactics, WHO seeks to drive awareness, advocate for stronger policies, including a ban on flavours that make tobacco and nicotine products more appealing, and protect public health.

As the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) moves closer to achieving the global goal of wild poliovirus (WPV) eradication, maintaining sensitive surveillance systems becomes increasingly critical. These systems are essential for confirming the absence of poliovirus circulation, particularly in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region, where polio free countries need sustained high-quality surveillance to ensure they remain free of WPV and other poliovirus variants.

The Business Management System (BMS) is a comprehensive suite of tools designed to support the planning and implementation of organizational policies, practices, guidelines, processes, and procedures. It facilitates the development, deployment, and execution of business strategies and related management activities. To prepare for the upcoming rollout of BMS, each country office was tasked with conducting a User Experience (UX) Lab to familiarize staff with the new system.

From 21 to 23 May 2025, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology (AT) Technical Working Group and other partners, convened a national workshop in Windhoek to develop the country’s first National Rehabilitation and AT Strategic Plan. The workshop focused on reviewing the findings of the recent situation assessment and confirming strategic priorities to address identified country-specific gaps effectively.

On 12 June 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) joined the Namibia Blood Transfusion Service (NamBTS), the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS), and other partners in commemorating World Blood Donor Day under the global theme, “Give blood, give hope: together we save lives”. This annual event serves as a powerful tribute to the millions of voluntary, unpaid blood donors who selflessly give others a second chance at life.

Namibia is intensifying efforts to end preventable maternal and child deaths through strong leadership, robust data systems, and continuous quality improvement. In 2023, the country released the second edition of its National Guidelines for Reviewing and Responding to Maternal Deaths, Near Misses, Stillbirths, and Neonatal Deaths. These guidelines inform the work of the National Maternal Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Review Committee (NMSNDRC), which analyses avoidable deaths and recommends corrective measures to improve outcomes.

On 28 – 30 April 2025, the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, convened a three-day Joint External Evaluation (JEE) Planning and Stakeholder Orientation meeting in Windhoek. The meeting marked a significant milestone in Namibia’s ongoing efforts to continuously assess and evaluate the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) core capacities with the aim to assess the countries progress in developing capacities for prevention, timely detection, reporting and response.

To reaffirm shared commitment to the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign and raise awareness about hand hygiene in healthcare settings, Namibia commemorated the World Hand Hygiene Day at Windhoek Central Hospital on 08 May 2025. The event served as a reminder of the importance of reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and combating antimicrobial resistance through the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programme.

On April 7, 2025, in Katima Mulilo, Zambezi region, Namibia launched a year-long campaign, in commemoration of World Health Day. Under the theme Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures, the campaign aims to strengthen health systems and enhance service delivery to reduce maternal and child deaths. By focusing on improving healthcare access, training, and infrastructure, the initiative seeks to ensure that every mother and child in Namibia has the opportunity for a healthy and hopeful future.

On 28 March 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO), together with the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) and other partners, came together for the national observance of World Tuberculosis (TB) Day in Tsandi, Omusati Region. The theme for this year, "Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver," served as a powerful reminder of the collective action needed to combat TB worldwide.