Ministry of Health and Social Security Namibia

Minister: Hon. Dr. Kalumbi Shangula

Deputy Minister: Hon. Dr. Esther Muinjangue

Executive Director: Mr. Ben Nangombe

The Mandate of the Ministry of Health and social services is to oversee, provide and regulate public,
private, and non-government sectors in the provision of quality health and social services, ensuring
equity, accessibility, affordability and sustainability.

VISION

To be the leading provider of quality health care and social services according to international set
standards

MISSION

To provide intergrated affordable, accessible quality health care and social services responsive to the
needs of the population.

CORE VALUES

Confidentiality

Empathy and caring

Transaparency and accountability

Honesty, integrity and dignity

Impartiality

Professionalism

Respect

Innovation and creativity

Customer Focus

STRATEGIC FUNCTIONS

Policy and Legal framework

Health and social Services Planning

Health Promotion

Public health

Curative services

Specialized health services

Hospital services

Health centres

Clinics and health posts outreach

Standard setting and Quality Assurance

Health care engineering

Research and Development

Epidemiology

Health infrastructure development

Emergency response

Institutional Development

Social Services

Pharmaceutical services

Development and Pharmaceutical supply chain management

Diagonstic and Laboratory Services

Cooperate Governance

Development Cooperation

Bio-Safety
Environment and Health

How many National Directorates does the Ministry of Health have?

They are 12.

1. Primary Health Care Services

2. Development Social Welfare Service

3. Special Programmes

4. Finance and Procurement

5. Tertiary Health Care and Clinical Support Services

6. Policy and Planning

7. Human Resources Management and General Services

8. Health Care Technology & Facility Management

9. Atomic Energy & Radiation Protection Authority

10. Health Information & Research

11. General Management

12. Pharmaceutical Services

Khomas Regional Health Directorate has the following facilities:

Hospitals = 2

Health Centers = 3

Primary Health Care Clinics = 8

Directorate: Health Information and Research

The General Health Management section within the Directorate of Health Information and Research in
Namibia aims to monitor and analyze overall health trends across the country, providing evidence-based
insights to inform policy decisions and guide interventions by collecting, managing, and interpreting
health data from various sources, ultimately contributing to the improvement of public health strategies
and service delivery.

Key objectives within this section may include:

Data collection and management:

Establishing and maintaining a robust health information system to capture routine data from
healthcare facilities across different levels of care.

Disease surveillance:

Monitoring the occurrence and distribution of communicable and non-communicable diseases through
active and passive surveillance systems.

Health indicator analysis:

Calculating and interpreting key health indicators like mortality rates, morbidity rates, life expectancy,
and disease burden to assess population health.

Epidemiological research:

Conducting studies to investigate the causes, patterns, and determinants of diseases within the
population.

Health needs assessment:

Identifying unmet healthcare needs and priority areas for intervention based on data analysis.

Performance evaluation:

Assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of health programs and interventions using data-driven
metrics.

Strategies to achieve these objectives may involve:

Standardized data collection tools:

Developing and implementing consistent data collection forms across healthcare facilities to ensure data
quality and comparability.

Data cleaning and validation:

Implementing quality control measures to identify and correct errors in collected data.

Data analysis techniques:

Utilizing statistical methods to analyze health data, including descriptive statistics, regression analysis,
and time series analysis.
Data visualization:

Creating informative graphs, charts, and reports to effectively communicate health data to stakeholders.

Collaboration with healthcare providers:

Building strong relationships with healthcare providers to ensure timely and accurate data reporting.

Capacity building:

Training healthcare workers on data collection, reporting, and data quality standards.

Dissemination of findings:

Regularly publishing reports and presenting findings to policymakers, researchers, and other relevant
stakeholders.

Strategy

e-Health
In line with Vision 2030, the e-Government Policy, the fifth National Development Plan(NDP5) and the
Harambee Prosperity Plan, the Ministry is implementing an eHealth system in its health facilities to
leverage eHealth opportunities to improve efficiencies and health outputs for the people of Namibia.

The Ministry’s goal is to ensure that there is positive impact from every interaction between a health
system client and a health worker, ensuring that they contribute optimally to health system
performance and healthcare outcomes. This will include ensuring that scarce financial and human
resources are deployed as effectively as possible.

The eHealth system can address the challenges of providing health service spanning the entire country
by having healthcare workers and patients in both urban and rural areas access the patient’s health
record anywhere and anytime. The cost of healthcare service provision can be lowered for both the
patient and the Ministry through the use of the variety of emerging digital health opportunities such as
eHealth, m-Health, telemedicine and social media. eHealth also provides information to both patients
and stakeholders in healthcare services to make informed decisions about the individual patients’,
communities’ and the country’s health. Thus, the nation can become more informed, healthier and
make strides towards achieving UHC.

National eHealth Strategic Direction

Vision
A healthy nation enjoying a high standard of living and quality health and social services welfare
enabled by eHealth.

Mission

The national eHealth Mission statement is:To provide the nation with a dynamic eHealth system that
supports integrated continuity of care that is accessible, affordable, equitable and is responsive to the
needs of the population to improve quality health and social welfare services for better health outcomes
in Namibia.

eHealth System Goals and Outcomes

The primary goal of the strategy is to strengthen health and social welfare service delivery
through utilization of electronic solutions that address the needs of the people of Namibia.
The goal will be accomplished through the following outcomes, derived from interactions
with stakeholders in Namibia:
- All people within the health system accessing and sharing quality health information
reliably and securely, in a timely manner, across geographic and health sector
boundaries
- Enhanced efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of healthcare services at central,
district, facility and community levels
- Efficient and effective care to all patients
- Scarce financial and human resources are effectively

Namibia's State Finance Act of 1991 and Public Procurement Act of 2015 are laws that govern the
financial management and procurement of the country.

State Finance Act:

• Regulates the management of the state's financial affairs, including revenue, expenditure, and
debt
• Sets standards for the management of public resources
• Regulates the powers and duties of the Treasury and Auditor-General
• Regulates the raising and repayment of loans by the state

Public Procurement Act:

• Regulates the procurement of goods, works, and services by public entities
• Regulates the disposal of assets by public entities
• Regulates the letting and hiring of anything or the granting of any right
• Regulates the contract management of goods, works, and services
The Public Procurement Act also establishes a Procurement Policy Unit within the Ministry of Finance.
The Policy Unit advises the Minister on procurement and disposal.
The State Finance Act has been amended by the Public Service Act of 1995, the State Finance
Amendment Act of 2022, and Act 18 of 2018.

Implementation of the Asset Maintenance Plan

What is the Asset Maintenance Plan?

Is a strategic document that outlines the processes, procedures, and strategies for maintaining an
organization’s physical assets over their life cycle.
The goal of an AMP is to enhance asset performance, extend life span, and ensure that assets operate
efficiently and cost-effectively.

Key Components of an Asset Maintenance Plan:

1. Asset Inventory:
o A detailed list of all assets, including their specifications, locations, and conditions.
o Categorization of assets based on criticality and maintenance requirement.
2. Defining Tasks - Maintenance Strategy:
o Preventive Maintenance (PM): Regular inspections and servicing to prevent failures.
o Predictive Maintenance (PdM): Is the use of past data and diagnostics to predict when
maintenance should be performed.
o Corrective Maintenance (CM): Repairs or replacements after equipment failures.
o Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM): Maintenance based on the actual condition of the
asset.
3. Maintenance Schedule:
o A calendar-based schedule that outlines when each maintenance task should be
performed.
o Consideration of seasonal impacts and operational demands
4. Resource Allocation:
o Identification of required personnel, tools, and materials for maintenance activities.
o Budgeting for maintenance activities, including labor, parts, and external services
5. Performance Metrics:
o Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) to measure the effectiveness of the maintenance
plan (e.g. Downtime, maintenance costs, asset availability).
o Regular reporting and analysis to identify areas for improvement.
6. Documentation and Compliance:
o

Affirmative Action (Employment) Act 29 of 1998 (

Amendment Act 6 of 2007)