Staff Reporter<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Luvindao, who became Africa\u2019s youngest health minister at the time of her appointment, was recognised for her leadership in advancing equitable healthcare systems and driving reforms within Namibia\u2019s health sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s first digital health policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In November 2025, Luvindao tabled Namibia\u2019s Mental Health Bill, aimed at repealing legislation that had remained unchanged since 1973.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before entering government, she founded the OSAAT Africa Health Foundation in 2019 to improve healthcare access in underserved communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s Health, a women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Photo: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\u2019s youngest health minister at the time of her appointment, was recognised for …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":394923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-394922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n