Staff Reporter
THE Minister of Health and Social Services, Esperance Luvindao, said that the Government is committed to the digitalisation of civil registration systems to enhance the accessibility of these services, and the digitisation of the provision of all services across different government sectors, while ensuring that the private sector is also not left behind.
Speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare in Windhoek on Monday, on the occasion of the opening ceremony for the Africa CDC’s Learning Visit on e-Birth notification and Integrated Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems, Luvindao said that the Namibian Government, through the Office of the Prime Minister, is ensuring that all these processes are conducted in a coordinated manner, while the data are locally housed and owned to contribute to national planning and monitoring of development outcomes.
She said the national digitalisation of health and social services stands at the forefront of Namibia’s transformation agenda.
“Namibia’s Vision 2030,” she pointed out, “challenges us to build a healthy, knowledge-based, and inclusive society; one where technology becomes a catalyst for equitable access to quality healthcare.”
Through the National e-Health Strategy (2021–2025), Namibia took the first decisive steps to digitise health information systems, strengthen governance, and improve data use for decision-making.
Said Luvindao: “Now, with the National Digital Health Policy (2026–2036), we move from strategy to full-scale transformation, embedding digital solutions into every layer of our healthcare system. This policy envisions a digitally empowered health system that ensures equitable, efficient, and quality health services for all people in Namibia.”
She added that the transformation is not only about computers and connectivity. “It is a fundamental shift in how we care for our people. In the past, our health systems and our civil registration systems often operated in silos. A child would be born in a health facility, but the legal recognition of that child’s existence might be delayed for months or even years. This gap created a blind spot in our planning,” she said, adding that by investing in interoperable systems, the Government has brought about a fundamental shift in the delivery of services, a new paradigm of service delivery that ensures that a mother in Kunene Region, a child in Oshana Region, and an elderly patient in Zambezi Region all receive timely, data-driven, and coordinated care, whether at a clinic or health centre.
Luvindao pointed out that despite the progress made in combating HIV and TB, and improving maternal outcomes, the health system continues to face challenges related to:
– Fragmented information systems and paper-based records;
– Uneven access to services between rural and urban areas;
– Gaps in digital literacy and data governance; and
– Heavy dependence on donor funding for technological innovation.
“As such,” she said, “digital health presents the most powerful lever to address these gaps.”
PICTURED: Minister of Health and Social Services, Esperance Luvindao. Photo: MHAISS
