SPEECH
BY THE
HONOURABLE MINISTER, Dr. Libertina AMATHILA,
at the OFFICIAL OPENING of the
19TH
NATIONAL MANAGEMENT MEETING
NHTC, WINDHOEK
13 FEBRUARY 2002
Director of Ceremonies
The
Permanent Secretary
The Under
Secretary
Directors
Deputy
Directors
Medical
Superintendents
Chief
Medical Officers
Partners
in Health and Social Welfare
Invited
Guests
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am
indeed delighted to officiate at this important occasion, the 19th
National Management Meeting of the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
Chairperson,
since this is the first time I am meeting most of our health workers, who are
based in the regions, allow me to take this opportunity to wish you all a
prosperous 2002.
I would
particularly like to thank all our managers and staff for the good work that
they rendered during 2001 and I am sure that you will all excel even more in
the year 2002.
Allow me
therefore, to briefly review the past year and to highlight some of the
important successes that we achieved.
During
2001, NID’S were successfully carried out in all our regions. The coverage was quite high in many regions.
Apart from having successfully carried out the NID’S, outbreaks of meningitis in Khomas and Ohangwena were successfully
controlled.
In
addition, the North-West directorate was faced with a severe malaria outbreak
during May 2001. I am impressed with the hard work that was provided by all the
districts in the directorate and the quick and open assistance that other
regions and hospitals provided to curb the epidemic. I think this is an
excellent example of how we can work as a team in this ministry, when we are
struck with a difficult situation. I was also informed of the outcome of the
post-mortem meeting, that was held in Ondangwa in July to review all the
aspects of the outbreak and to plan for a strengthened response in future. I
trust that all these mechanisms are now put in place and that we shall be in a
good position to cope with this year’s malaria season.
Chairman
Ladies and
Gentlemen
During the
review meeting, it was realized that there are weaknesses in our surveillance
system and in the rapid processing and transmission of data through our new
Health Information System. It is also clear that there are unnecessary delays
in the notification of class A and B notifiable diseases. Notification of notifiable diseases should
always be done promptly to enable disease control teams to implement control
measures within the shortest space of time.
On this note, I would like to encourage all regional surveillance teams
to implement an effective and efficient surveillance system. Also, our routine
collection, processing and forwarding of HIS data must be improved. We now have
a new system in place. It is important that we manage this system well and that
you as managers make use of the data on a regular basis.
Chairperson
The year
2001 has had many areas of success, which I as your minister am very proud of.
Although I can not go into too much detail, I do however think it important
that we all take note of the following achievements, which may stand as
representative for all the other hard work that you as managers and all our
staff members have done during the past year. You may not all be aware, but
Namibia has officially been declared Neo-natal Tetanus-free by the World Health
Organisation. I am very excited about this achievement and trust that we will
equally be in a position to eliminate polio very soon.
Furthermore,
we have achieved 86.3% coverage of Vitamin A supplementation during last year’s
NID’s. Again, a wonderful achievement, and I want to thank all our health
workers, who did so excellently during the NID’s last year. Let us keep it up
and improve even further on this during this year’s round of NID’s.
Another
very positive development during the past year has been the expansion of the
health promoting schools initiative. The initiative was launched in various
regions during the past year, including Khomas, where 53 schools were
certified. The aim must be to cover all schools in the country over the next
five years. So please keep up the good work.
I would
also like to emphasise the excellent work that was done by the Patient Care and
Infrastructure Management Committee under the able leadership of the Honourable
Deputy Minister, Mr. Richard Kamwi, and all his team members. I have received
the preliminary report of the Committee and can see that a lot of problems were
picked up during the Committee’s visits. Equally, I am informed, a lot of
issues could also be resolved right there on the spot. I would therefore like
to encourage all of our regional and hospital managers: You must continue to
work on all the problem areas that were identified according to your action
plans. I strongly believe that this important exercise will make an important
difference in the quality of patient care in the ministry.
With
regard to HIV/AIDS we have had some very important successes during the last
year. I am particularly glad that we have been able to start with the training
of house-to-house community counselors in three regions. We have also made
important progress in home-based care over the past year. This is an area,
which will become more and more necessary in the years to come. I am also very
encouraged by some of the community initiatives in the AIDS area. The
establishment of Lironga Eparu, an organisation that encourages the coming-out
of People living with AIDS, and the opening of the first Voluntary Counseling
and Testing Centre by the CCN therefore carry my full support and I want to
encourage you as managers to provide assistance to such initiatives in the
regions and districts that you are responsible for.
Chairman
Ladies and
Gentlemen
Let me now
say something briefly about the impact of AIDS on our health services itself.
Unfortunately, we are starting to move into a phase in the AIDS epidemic, where
we are seeing mortalities increasing.
As you know people who were infected 10 years ago are now beginning to
die of Aids and will continue to die during the next 10 years. This of course has impact on us as health
workers and caregivers. No health
personnel wants to see his / her patient die.
Thus, we must support each other, be strong and give care to the dying
patients. We all have experienced the
struggle and the liberation war. We must
come together as health workers and be supportive of each other, as colleagues,
as team players, as a family during this difficult time. Not only will we face death of other
patients also our own families will die and we will be affected personally. Let us be courageous to face up to these
challenges.
Chairperson
Colleagues
I am
convinced that we will be able to come through this challenge. In this regard I
am glad to confirm that we will soon be able to launch the prevention of mother
to child transmission programme. Also, as I believe the Permanent Secretary has
already informed you yesterday, we are in the process of signing agreements for
the supply of drugs, that can help us with the treatment of opportunistic
infections. I hope that with the recent announcement of the Global Fund for
HIV/AIDS (and malaria and tuberculosis) we will also some time in future be
able to obtain financial support for the procurement of anti-retroviral drugs
for the treatment of AIDS. I am not wanting to raise any false hopes at this
stage, but I am convinced that the world out there will not and can not just
continue looking at countries in Africa that are heavily affected by AIDS.
Something must and will be done.
Chairperson,
ladies and gentlemen
We are at
the beginning of a new year. I am therefore particularly aware, that we need to
refocus our energies and tackle some of the issues coming our way during the
new year. In my speech to the Enlarged Ministerial Management Committee, which
was read to you by the Honourable Deputy Minister, I stated that we need to
make sure that we further improve our patient care. I understand that you
already have started deliberating on this important issue and that you will
further address it during the next few days. Also, I would like to re-emphasise
that we must make a success of our Programme for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS
transmission form Mother to Child. I personally attended the first workshop
held to discuss the draft protocol last year. I would like to assure you that I
am giving my full support to the programme and to the Permanent Secretary, who
has already done a lot of excellent work for the preparation of the launching
of it.
Chairperson,
ladies and gentlemen
Before I conclude, let me take this opportunity to allude to
a statement by our President, His Excellency Sam Nujoma, who in his new year’s
address to the nation requested that we all rededicate our efforts to
nation-building. He stated that 2002 should be and must be a year of hard work.
I want to assure you all, that I have full confidence in your capabilities in
this regard. I have during the first part of my speech mentioned the many
important milestones that we all together in this ministry have been able to
achieve during the past year. I am sure that we can make 2002 just such a good
success. I wish you all the strength and the enthusiasm to take a fresh look at
our services and to redouble your efforts in the process. I know, that you can
do it.
With these
few words, chairperson, ladies and gentlemen, I hereby declare the 19th
National Management Meeting officially open.
I THANK
YOU