Towards digital healthcare services in Namibia
OPINION
The Namibian government has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the well-being of its citizens through its budgetary allocations over the years. The social sectors of education and health received up to 50.7% (N$44.3 billion) of the 2024-25 national budget. The Ministry of Health and Social Services received N$10.9 billion, the highest allocation, second only to the Ministry of Basic Education, Arts and Culture. As much as this proves the government’s commitment to the provision of health services, the question that has been difficult to answer is – how efficient is the provision of healthcare services to ordinary Namibians?
Well, perpetual challenges affecting the provision of healthcare services in the country are well documented. The Ministry of Health and Social Services, through media briefings, maintains that although 85% of the population relies on public health and social services, the number of major public health facilities in the country has changed little, despite the population doubling from 1.4 million in 1991 to 3.02 million three decades later.
This has resulted in immense pressure on the public healthcare system and a shortage of specialised professionals.
Other challenges include long queues at healthcare facilities due to the high patient-to-doctor ratio (although Namibia’s ratio of three health workers per 1 000 population is above the World Health Organisation benchmark of 2.5 health workers per 1 000 population, its doctor-population ratio remains high at 1:2,952, and 1:704 for registered nurses). All the while, access to private healthcare facilities and medical aid is limited to only 15% to 18% of Namibians, usually middle class and residing in urban centres. How can this status quo be changed?
Paradigm shift
The appointment of Dr Esperance Luvindao as the new health and social services minister by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is not only a breath of fresh air but also a statement of intent from the president.
Dr Luvindao is well-known for her work in the healthcare sector, such as founding the OSAAT Africa Health Foundation and the MENGA Healthcare Technology that are focused on providing healthcare services to underserved Namibians. Her appointment indicates the president’s appetite for innovation in the provision of health services.
Although I am not suggesting that the aforementioned profile was the only factor considered in the appointment, given the apparent publicity on Dr Luvindao’s work in the healthcare sector, it is reasonable to assume that they were contributory factors.
Further acknowledging the positives, the government through the health ministry initiated the National eHealth Strategy: 2021-2025 that “seeks a paradigm shift in the way information is collected, communicated and used across health facilities, [which] entails moving away from reliance on manual analogue tools such as paper and human memory, to an environment where all the people within the health system access and share health information reliably and securely, in a timely manner, across geographic and health sector boundaries, [thereby] providing efficient and effective patient care services to all health seekers” (MHSS, 2020, p. 1).
This eHealth strategy aligns with the WHO’s global strategy on digital health 2020-2025, with the stated vision “to improve health for everyone, everywhere by accelerating the development and adoption of appropriate, accessible, affordable, scalable and sustainable person-centric digital health solutions” (WHO, 2021, p. 10).
Hope for digital services
In Namibia, there have been a few start-up companies of late focusing on innovations in the digital healthcare service provision space. These include Patient Care, founded by Jesse Liula and Dr MacQ of Macquarie Medical Care, both of which focus on the provision of healthcare services through digital means. These new developments are both promising and welcome, given the status of healthcare access by ordinary citizens in the country, particularly in rural areas.
However, I remain reasonably sceptical towards the implementation of eHealth in Namibia. According to a 2023 report by GIZ, impediments to the implementation of the eHealth strategy include inadequate expertise in the country to develop a comprehensive system and software solutions, which should include patient registration and maintenance of records; health facility, laboratory and pharmacy systems; health data collection, reporting and analysis; and telemedicine.
The absence of a telemedicine law in the country to regulate such initiatives is another concern, and most importantly, the health ministry’s budget allocation of only 2.8% to developmental expenditure with the rest dedicated to operations does not instil confidence. At the same time, the lack of coordination of the existing digital health innovations, most of which are privately owned, continues to cast doubt on whether the digitalisation of healthcare in Namibia is to be realised or remains a false promise.
Nevertheless, the light from this promise seems to get brighter and it is my hope and trust that President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s government is to be the one to deliver us the digitalisation of health services in Namibia.
*Erkkie Haipinge is the chairperson of the Digital Foundation of Namibia and a PhD candidate with UNISA. Views expressed in this opinion piece are his own and do not reflect those of his professional affiliations.
Well, perpetual challenges affecting the provision of healthcare services in the country are well documented. The Ministry of Health and Social Services, through media briefings, maintains that although 85% of the population relies on public health and social services, the number of major public health facilities in the country has changed little, despite the population doubling from 1.4 million in 1991 to 3.02 million three decades later.
This has resulted in immense pressure on the public healthcare system and a shortage of specialised professionals.
Other challenges include long queues at healthcare facilities due to the high patient-to-doctor ratio (although Namibia’s ratio of three health workers per 1 000 population is above the World Health Organisation benchmark of 2.5 health workers per 1 000 population, its doctor-population ratio remains high at 1:2,952, and 1:704 for registered nurses). All the while, access to private healthcare facilities and medical aid is limited to only 15% to 18% of Namibians, usually middle class and residing in urban centres. How can this status quo be changed?
Paradigm shift
The appointment of Dr Esperance Luvindao as the new health and social services minister by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is not only a breath of fresh air but also a statement of intent from the president.
Dr Luvindao is well-known for her work in the healthcare sector, such as founding the OSAAT Africa Health Foundation and the MENGA Healthcare Technology that are focused on providing healthcare services to underserved Namibians. Her appointment indicates the president’s appetite for innovation in the provision of health services.
Although I am not suggesting that the aforementioned profile was the only factor considered in the appointment, given the apparent publicity on Dr Luvindao’s work in the healthcare sector, it is reasonable to assume that they were contributory factors.
Further acknowledging the positives, the government through the health ministry initiated the National eHealth Strategy: 2021-2025 that “seeks a paradigm shift in the way information is collected, communicated and used across health facilities, [which] entails moving away from reliance on manual analogue tools such as paper and human memory, to an environment where all the people within the health system access and share health information reliably and securely, in a timely manner, across geographic and health sector boundaries, [thereby] providing efficient and effective patient care services to all health seekers” (MHSS, 2020, p. 1).
This eHealth strategy aligns with the WHO’s global strategy on digital health 2020-2025, with the stated vision “to improve health for everyone, everywhere by accelerating the development and adoption of appropriate, accessible, affordable, scalable and sustainable person-centric digital health solutions” (WHO, 2021, p. 10).
Hope for digital services
In Namibia, there have been a few start-up companies of late focusing on innovations in the digital healthcare service provision space. These include Patient Care, founded by Jesse Liula and Dr MacQ of Macquarie Medical Care, both of which focus on the provision of healthcare services through digital means. These new developments are both promising and welcome, given the status of healthcare access by ordinary citizens in the country, particularly in rural areas.
However, I remain reasonably sceptical towards the implementation of eHealth in Namibia. According to a 2023 report by GIZ, impediments to the implementation of the eHealth strategy include inadequate expertise in the country to develop a comprehensive system and software solutions, which should include patient registration and maintenance of records; health facility, laboratory and pharmacy systems; health data collection, reporting and analysis; and telemedicine.
The absence of a telemedicine law in the country to regulate such initiatives is another concern, and most importantly, the health ministry’s budget allocation of only 2.8% to developmental expenditure with the rest dedicated to operations does not instil confidence. At the same time, the lack of coordination of the existing digital health innovations, most of which are privately owned, continues to cast doubt on whether the digitalisation of healthcare in Namibia is to be realised or remains a false promise.
Nevertheless, the light from this promise seems to get brighter and it is my hope and trust that President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s government is to be the one to deliver us the digitalisation of health services in Namibia.
*Erkkie Haipinge is the chairperson of the Digital Foundation of Namibia and a PhD candidate with UNISA. Views expressed in this opinion piece are his own and do not reflect those of his professional affiliations.
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