LEGISLATION AND REGULATION

Legalisation will be drafted to appropriately address Namibian legal needs in respect of health and social welfare services, institutions and professions.

Umbrella legislation shall be drafted providing for the establishment of Boards governing professions and for various outscored support services i.e. blood tranfusion, medical laboratory services, catering and others.

RATIONAL DRUG USE

The Ministry will promote the rational use of drugs by ensuring compliance with the National Essential Drugs List for Namibia and the adherence to standard Treatment guidelines. the importation and production of all pharmaceutical products shall be regulated by the government to protect the interest of Namibian consumers. Appropriate legislation will be enacted to ensure that pharmaceutical products conform to international standards.

FINANCING HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES

The Ministry of Health and Social Services shall mobile resources through appropriate and sustainable means, and will ensure the efficient use of those resources in order to guarantee equity of access to quality health care.

Promotive and preventive services will be free of charge. Fees for other services will be charged to raise revenue and other options for cost sharing will be explored and implemented.

District health services (district hospitals, health centres, clinics and outreach services) shall be adequately financed to implement the minimum district health package.

A service package will also be defined for the tertiary level facilities. Allocation criteria for these facilities will be determined.

The government will ensure that the per capita funding of health and social welfare services will be equitable for all Namibians in every region of the country. This will take into account special regional circumstances such as distance, population, density and other factors.

Special consideration, therefore, will be given to accelerate development of health and social welfare services in the disadvantaged and the underserved rural areas.

The government shall rationalize provision of primary, secondary and tertiary care services in areas where there is an oversupply and in order to ensure the maintenance of standards and the appropriate expansion of services in neglected and underserved areas

Financial responsibility and accountability will be decentralized to regions and districts to allow for the most appropriate and flexible response to the needs of the people in those particular areas. This however, will be a flexible and gradual process.

HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

The preparation of a long term human resource strategic development plan will be given high priority. This shall include training, retraining and development of existing health and social workers, to address priority health and social problems in an appropriate and integrated manner. External or internal training will be decided upon, considering cost effectiveness.

Standards of professional practice of all categories of health and social workers shall be maintained and improved where necessary, to be comparable with international standards.

Special consideration shall be given to staff rendering services in remote areas and those involved in the provision of outreach services. All staff members will be required to do relief duties. The staff will be deployed/redeployed according to staff utilisation rates. Assessments of staff development needs will be conducted periodically.

PARTNERSHIP IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE

The vital role of health and social welfare services provided by church facilities in Namibia is acknowledged. These services shall be strengthened and supported by the Ministry in terms of their capital costs, operating costs (including salaries and pharmaceutical supplies) and human resource needs. Agreements guiding the terms of co-operation between the churches and government shall be drawn up and reviewed periodically.

Private health and social welfare services shall co-exist with public and social welfare services in accordance with the mixed economy policy of the government. Close co-operation and joint ventures between the private and public sectors in pursuance of the goal of health and social well being for all Namibians shall be encouraged.

Private health care and social welfare facilities (including facilities operated by Non-Governmental Organisations) shall be required to register with the Ministry and comply with service and building standards set by government.

Limited private practice for full-time medical specialists may be allowed under strict control and in accordance with the principle that their state responsibilities shall not be comprised. All costs associated with the utilisation of state facilities to run private practice of any kind shall be fully recovered from the private patients and practitioners.

Namibia will maintain its membership of the World Health Organisation. Programmes of assistance with UN agencies, NGO’s, International and Regional Organisations and individual countries, will be actively developed. All such programmes will be co-ordinated to avoid duplication or a piecemeal approach to health and social welfare in the country. A fundamental requirement of all development co-operation shall be to help Namibians to help themselves.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES RESEARCH:

Systems research is increasingly being recognised as important in the decision making process. the Ministry of Health and Social Services will therefor place particular emphasis research that is closely linked to local needs and sensitive to priority needs of the country.

A national policy on research and a health system research strategy to underpin it, are being developed. Special effort will also be made to build research capacity at all levels.

TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

Traditional health systems remain an integral part of the majority of Namibian cultural values and traditional beliefs. The Ministry has therefore adopted a policy of fostering good working relationships between conventional and traditional medical practices.

The Ministry will help and encourage traditional practitioners to regulate their practice and to establish traditional practitioners associations.

Research into traditional herbal medicines and other modes of treatment will be encouraged and supported.

STRATEGY FORMULATION AND REVIEW

Since Independence programme specific policies and strategies have been developed in many areas such as: turberlosis, malaria, primary health care, community based health care, information, education and communication, essential drugs, family planning, nutrition and food security, protection and empowerment of women and children.

There are however still outstanding areas of concern to be addressed in due course, such as: social welfare policy, refining social allowances and relief, decentralisation, streamlining the Ministry’s organisational structures, operational management and support services covering amongst others transport, information management (communication), accounting systems and administrative processes and procedures; infrastructure and medical equipment.

An ongoing effort to review and develop the policies, strategies and their implementation will be continued. Adjustment of programmes will be made to meet the changing needs of communities and to address new challenges. New programmes for overcoming emerging problems like HIV/AIDS will be established as required.

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