WHO engages health sector stakeholders
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Namibia engaged stakeholders from the public and private health care, earlier this month, to deliberate on key milestones within the health sector and to share their strategic direction for the next five years.
This is in line with WHO’s approving a new Global Programme of Works which sets the tone for the global public health agenda consequently the local office strategy for the country.
Ben Nangombe, Executive Director of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, spoke, on behalf of Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, Minister of Health and Social Services appreciated WHO’s contribution towards the promotion of health and the improvement of health care in the country.
He directed the meeting to the key achievements in the areas of health systems strengthening, combating of priority disease, improving maternal, neonatal and child health, addressing health emergencies and health promotion.
Dr. Charles Sagoe-Moses, WHO Representative said the health sector has achieved a lot over a period of time and that there is need to recognise and applaud the government for these achievements. “There has also been tremendous expansion in health services from the medical officer delivering care in the facilities to the community health care worker in the remote parts of the country,” he added.
The meeting highlighted key achievements in TB treatment success rate at 86% which is short of 4% to the global 90% target. Despite the resurfacing malaria outbreaks, the country maintained malaria death rate at below 4 per 100,000 population a 55% reduction compared to level of 2008 death rate which is way above the 2020 global target of 40% reduction.
The country immunization coverage also received a lot of praise with certain vaccines being over 80%, meeting and exceeding global targets.
Despite the numerous successes in the health sector, WHO in partnership with the government still has a lot of ground to cover and aim to strengthen interventions in all aspects of health to address some of the challenges and maintain the progress made in the sector.
