Staff Reporter
THE Prime Minister (PM), Dr Elijah Ngurare, has reaffirmed the Namibian Government’s commitment to providing affordable and accessible quality healthcare for all citizens, while also ensuring the integration of HIV services into the broader health system.
“The Government of the Republic of Namibia remains resolute in its commitment to delivering quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare to all our people. We continue to integrate HIV services within a broader health system framework—one that addresses co-morbidities, mental health, maternal and child health, and all the social determinants of health,” the PM said.
He made these remarks at the 19th International Conference on HIV Treatment, Pathogenesis and Prevention Research in Resource-Limited Settings, also known as the INTEREST Conference. This year, the conference was held in Windhoek, Namibia, and aims to stimulate and build the capacity of stakeholders in the HIV response across the African region.
He highlighted Namibia’s progress in combating HIV, citing the country’s achievement of the UNAIDS 95-95-95 fast-track targets. He also noted that in May 2024, Namibia received recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO) for its progress towards eliminating mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV and hepatitis B.
“We are the bearer of a Bronze Tier Award Status for reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV to below five percent. By 2022, only 4% of babies born to HIV-positive mothers contracted the virus. Furthermore, Namibia has made history by becoming the first country in the world to receive a Silver Tier designation for its efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, and is thus a trailblazer in this regard,” he said.
The Prime Minister stressed that these achievements are the result of more than two decades of dedicated work, including the integration of HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis prevention into maternal and child health services. However, he acknowledged that more work remains to fully integrate HIV services within a broader health system framework and to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Namibia, ensuring that all people have access to essential health services without experiencing financial hardship.
“While we acknowledge these gains and celebrate the progress we have made, we are not complacent about the work that lies ahead. Notably, we are conscious of the fact that the closer one gets to the target, the more challenging it becomes to achieve the necessary elimination. Hence the clarion call to deploy nimbler policies and toolkits to enhance better targeting and outcomes,” Ngurare added.
