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The ministry is allocating 10.9 billion Namibia dollars (about 584 million U.S. dollars) for the 2024/2025 financial year, with a significant portion dedicated to operational expenditure and infrastructure development.
On Wednesday, Namibia's Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula outlined the ministry's performance and plans to meet the evolving health and social needs of the country's growing population.
Namibia's population surged from 2,113,077 in 2011 to 3,022,401 in 2023, according to a preliminary report from the 2023 Population and Housing Census released in March, a significant increase that poses challenges for health service delivery.
"This increase in population size has implications on the delivery of health and social services, as most of our health infrastructure was established when the population was 1.4 million. As the population size increases, so does the health and social needs," Shangula said in a statement.
Shangula said the ministry is allocating 10.9 billion Namibia dollars (about 584 million U.S. dollars) for the 2024/2025 financial year, with a significant portion dedicated to operational expenditure and infrastructure development. This includes the construction, maintenance and modernization of health facilities across the country, he said.
Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula has underscored the impact of population growth on health and social service delivery, citing challenges due to outdated infrastructure established for a smaller population of 1.4 million. pic.twitter.com/lrkZne9YVj
— Eagle FM Namibia (@EagleFMNam) April 10, 2024
"More than 85 percent of the Namibian population depend on public health and social services provided through hospitals and other health facilities managed by the ministry. These include 322 clinics, 56 health centers, 34 district hospitals, four intermediate hospitals and one national referral hospital," he said, adding that there are more than 1,150 outreach points.
According to Shangula, the portfolio of services offered at public health facilities consists of primary health care services, including health promotion, preventive and curative interventions, immunization, as well as tertiary and specialized services offered at our tertiary health care hospitals.
Key projects and initiatives will include the expansion and construction of Intensive Care Units, upgrading dialysis units at seven hospitals, improvements in medical oxygen infrastructure, and various renovations and maintenance work to ensure the quality and readiness of health facilities.
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