Quality health services at all time – Pohamba

“The health care sector remains at the centre of the government’s development efforts. We must ensure that the health sector delivers high quality services to our people at all times,” said President Hifikepunye Pohamba while addressing Parliament during his State of the Nation address on Wednesday this week.
He said it is for this reason that he instituted a Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Activities, Affairs, Management and Operations of the Ministry of Health and Social Services in August last year.
“The Commission has completed its work and presented its report to me on 31st January this year. At my direction, the report was tabled in Parliament by the Minister of Presidential Affairs yesterday. It has, therefore, become a public document. The government is analyzing the recommendations of the Report in order to take appropriate action,” he said.
He further said that encouraging achievements have been recorded in several health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), on Goal 4 which is infant mortality, Goal 5, maternal mortality and Goal 6, HIV/AIDS infection.
According to the President, the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey, which is currently underway, will provide further data on the rate of infant mortality in the country.
He said, at the end of last year, statistics from the health facilities around the country have shown that the maternal mortality rate stands at 118 deaths for every 100 000 live births.
“Progress has also been made in the reduction of the infection rate of HIV, TB and Malaria. The provision of Anti-retroviral therapy and the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) has been expanded, covering 87 and 95% of those eligible, respectively. Also, 95% of the babies from infected mothers are born HIV free,” said Pohamba.
He also informed the members of Parliament that renovation and expansion work has commenced at six hospitals, 18 clinics and four health centres during the 2012/13 Financial Year.