The Cabinet has approved a Health System Strengthening proposal for over N$16 billion to improve access to healthcare.
This was confirmed in a statement by the health ministry during the observance of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day, under the theme: ‘Healthy People Drive Economic Growth: Quality Services Without Financial Hardship for All’.
“This proposal includes key projects, such as the Windhoek District Hospital, introducing dialysis services in public hospitals and many other initiatives,” executive director Ben Nangombe notes in a statement.
Nangombe says over 92% of the population has access to health and social services through tax funded public health systems.
“Recent results from the census conducted by the National Statistics Agency indicate that 87% of Namibians live within a 10kilometre radius of a health facility. This achievement highlights the government’s ongoing commitment to improving health access for all citizens,” notes the statement.
Namibia maintains a health worker to population ratio consistently above 3.0 health workers per 1 000 people, exceeding the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) benchmark of 2.5, notes the statement.
In addition, 16% of the government’s budget is allocated to the health sector, surpassing the Abuja Declaration target of 15%. This makes Namibia one of the few countries to achieve this goal consistently, notes the statement.
Out of pocket healthcare expenditure stands at 8%, just below the WHO’s 15-20% threshold for concern.
“This highlights the country’s success in removing financial barriers to accessing care.
The government recognises the role of the private sector in expanding healthcare services, particularly in urban areas and specialised care,” notes the statement.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services notes that UHC Day is a time for stakeholders to unite and strengthen efforts towards achieving UHC for all.
The theme for 2024 underscores the strong connection between health and socio-economic development and reaffirms the government’s role in ensuring progress towards UHC through multi sectoral actions, notes the statement.
The ministry is currently working on a UHC policy to be presented to the Cabinet early next year, which will set out a broad vision to strengthen equitable access to quality, affordable health services for all.
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