The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), with technical and financial support from the World Health Organization (WHO) through the Pandemic Fund Multi-Country Project, convened a comprehensive workshop from 25 to 29 August 2025 in Windhoek to review and update the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) training materials. The workshop aimed to align all training modules with the recently developed local guidelines on One Health and the Event Based Surveillance. The workshop also incorporated the inputs received through the conducting of subnational IDSR trainings.

The IDSR strategy serves as a cornerstone for surveillance and response in African Member States, enabling countries to detect, confirm, report and respond to priority diseases and events in a timely and coordinated manner. Namibia adopted and launched the 3rd Edition of the National Technical Guidelines for IDSR in 2023 as part of its continued efforts to strengthen compliance with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). These regulations mandate all Member States to build and sustain the core capacities required to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to public health threats of national and international concern. IDSR Strategy in currently being implemented in all the 36 health districts in Namibia.

Following the rollout of the IDSR 3rd Edition, extensive trainings were conducted for public health personnel at sub-national levels under the Pandemic Fund Multi-Country Project implementation in Namibia, area of project support regarding strengthening human resources/public health and community workforce capacity. During the trainings, gaps and inconsistencies within the existing training tools were identified including  limited context-specific examples, and varying interpretations of response procedures among trainees. These observations highlighted the need for a structured review and harmonisation of training materials to ensure clarity, accuracy and uniformity.

Working in technical groups, participants systematically assessed each module covering all core functions of IDSR, ensuring that the content is practical, user-friendly and applicable across different levels of the health system. Participants also underscored the importance of sustainability and institutionalisation of IDSR training within pre-service and in-service platforms. Standardising the materials is expected to improve the efficiency of future training sessions, minimise misinterpretations and foster a more coherent national response structure.

WHO reaffirms its commitment to supporting Namibia in strengthening disease surveillance systems, enhancing health workforce competencies and ensuring full compliance with international public health obligations.