Staff Reporter
MINISTER of Health and Social Services, Esperance Luvindao, has been named among the 15 women selected for the 2026 fifth cohort of the Amujae Initiative, a pan-African leadership programme recognising influential female leaders across the continent.
Dr Luvindao, who became Africa’s youngest health minister at the time of her appointment, was recognised for her leadership in advancing equitable healthcare systems and driving reforms within Namibia’s health sector.
According to the Amujae Initiative, since taking office, Luvindao has overseen the recruitment of more than 2 000 healthcare workers, the direct procurement of medicines from manufacturers, the decentralisation of key health functions to regional structures, and the launch of Namibia’s first digital health policy.
The initiative also highlighted her role on the global stage, including her appointment as Chair of Committee A at the 78th World Health Assembly and her recognition as a Lusaka Agenda Champion by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
In November 2025, Luvindao tabled Namibia’s Mental Health Bill, aimed at repealing legislation that had remained unchanged since 1973.
Before entering government, she founded the OSAAT Africa Health Foundation in 2019 to improve healthcare access in underserved communities.
Through the foundation, she launched Menga, a digital platform that allows patients in informal settlements to access prescribed medication within their communities. She also developed Emily’s Health, a women’s health guide published in eight indigenous languages, and introduced a handheld sonar probe designed to assist rural women with fibroid, cyst and obstetric screenings without requiring internet connectivity.
The foundation further established the Dr Esperance Luvindao Healthcare Scholarship Award, which supports young women pursuing careers in the health sector while developing future healthcare leaders.
The 2026 Amujae Initiative cohort includes 15 women from 14 African countries working in sectors such as artificial intelligence, healthcare, diplomacy, energy, peacebuilding and governance.
Photo: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development
