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The health status of
Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
has increased steadily since
independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
, and the government does have focus on health in the country and seeks to make health service upgrades. As a guidance to achieve this goal, The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and World Health Organization (WHO) published the report ''"Namibia: State of the Nation's Health: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease.'' The report backs the fact that Namibia has made steady progress in the last decades when it comes to general health and communicable diseases, but despite this progress,
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
still is the major reason for low
life expectancy Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, current age, and other demographic factors like sex. The most commonly used measure is life expectancy at birth ...
in the country. Namibia is an upper-middle-income country. It has a dual system of public (serving 83% of the population) and private (17%) health care providers. In the financial year 2013/2014 Government and private health expenditure combined accounted for 8.9% of the country's
Gross Domestic Product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...
, compared to the world average of 9.9% of GDP in 2014. The Human Rights Measurement Initiative finds that Namibia is fulfilling 74.8% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income. When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Namibia achieves 88.0% of what is expected based on its current income. In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves only 66.2% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income. Namibia falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling only 70.0% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.


Medical infrastructure

Namibia has 343 hospitals and clinics, as well as 1,150 smaller service points. Health care facilities in the country are sophisticated but not always affordable to the poorer part of the population. Certain services like
dialysis Dialysis may refer to: *Dialysis (chemistry), a process of separating molecules in solution **Electrodialysis, used to transport salt ions from one solution to another through an ion-exchange membrane under the influence of an applied electric pote ...
and
organ transplantation Organ transplantation is a medical procedure in which an organ (anatomy), organ is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. The donor and recipient may be at the same location, or organ ...
s are only available from private medical centres, putting them out of reach for the majority of Namibia's citizens. The situation got wide coverage in 2010 when Jackson Kaujeua, Namibian singer and liberation hero, died from
renal failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...
after not being able to afford private medical care, and thus not being put on dialysis. The capital
Windhoek Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 20 ...
has cardiac theaters at two different hospitals, the Windhoek Central State Hospital and the
Roman Catholic Hospital The Roman Catholic Hospital is a private hospital in Windhoek, Namibia run by the Roman Catholic Church. Founded in 1907 by the Benedictine Missionary Sisters of Tutzing Tutzing is a municipality in the district of Starnberg in Bavaria, Germa ...
. Both units were opened in 2010 and 2011, respectively, and have been used to perform
open-heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to corr ...
, partly with the assistance of foreign personnel.


Medical personnel

In 2004, the country had 598 physicians - 0.3 per 1,000 inhabitants, and 6,145 midwives and nurses - 3 per 1,000 inhabitants. This number is significantly larger than in the rest of Africa and slightly exceeds the minimum density recommended by the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
. The total numbers do not reflect that the private health care facilities are luxuriously staffed while there is a shortage in the public sector.


Health status

Namibia conducted a third Demographic and Health Survey in 2013 (NDHS) which can be used for national and international comparison health wise. It is done every 5 years map the general health status. As for now, the country has one of the most skewed distributions of income pr. capita in the world which is the result of years of colonisation and war in the past, which gave an unbalanced development throughout the country. The results provide insights into the overall health status of Namibians and is disaggregated to a regional level. Below is a barchart comparing Namibia to the world in basic health indicators. As shown, Namibia compared to world average is nearly similar coming up 2016, except for Life expectancy where Namibia is still lacking behind with 64,7 compared to world average of 71,7.


Life expectancy

Life expectancy Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, current age, and other demographic factors like sex. The most commonly used measure is life expectancy at birth ...
(LEY) in the
South West Africa South West Africa ( af, Suidwes-Afrika; german: Südwestafrika; nl, Zuidwest-Afrika) was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990, after which it became modern-day Namibia. It bordered Angola (Portuguese colony before 1 ...
n territory increased from 40,3 years in 1950 to 65.7 years for women, 59.0 years for men, in 1990. Mainly due to the impact of
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
it dropped to 53 years for women, 50 years for men, in 2004, and has since risen again to 65.4 years for women, 56.2 years for men. This means Namibia as a country has improved, but is still far behind many of the countries in the world with longest LEY of 83,3, and slightly worse off than at independence in 1990.


Under 5 infant mortality

Under 5 infant mortality (U5IM) rate has decreased in Namibia from 280/1000 live births in 1950 to 46,7/1000 live births in 2015 and ranks number 52 in the world. Namibia does have a low level of U5IM compared to other sub-Saharan countries as the regional level was 84/1000 live births in 2015. However it is still too high according to the
Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future".United Nations (2017) R ...
( SDG 3) made by the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
(UN), which declares that the global amount of U5IM should not exceed 25/1000 births by 2030.


Fertility Rate

In 1950 Namibia had a
fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if: # she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through her lifetime # she were t ...
of 5,96 children pr. woman. In 2015 the number has decreased to 2,95 children pr. woman. Putting together LEY, U5IM and Fertility (previous chapters) shows how well Namibia as a country is doing by itself since 1950 but also globally. Namibia seems to be better of than most other Sub Saharan countries, when looking at this data, but still needs to improve to meet the SDGs made for 2030.


Specific illnesses


Albinism

There are approximately 1,800 people living with
Albinism Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albino. Varied use and interpretation of the term ...
. They need to make specific lifestyle adaptations because of the extreme weather conditions with about 300 days of sunshine annually. Children are regularly teased at school, and despite outreach activities some parents hide their affected children from society.


Illnesses related to alcohol abuse

Due to high prevalence of alcohol abuse, 8% of adult Namibians suffer from related illnesses. Alcohol consumption particularly in the north of the country (the four regions of
Ohangwena Ohangwena is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Eenhana. Major settlements in the region are the towns Eenhana and Helao Nafidi aa well as the self-governed village of Okongo. , Ohangwena had 150,724 registered voters. Ohangw ...
,
Omusati Omusati ( ng, Mopane, after the dominant tree in the area) is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Outapi. The towns of Okahao, Oshikuku and Ruacana as well as the self-governed village Tsandi are situated in this region. , Omus ...
,
Oshana Oshana is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, its capital is Oshakati. The towns of Oshakati, Ongwediva and Ondangwa, all situated with this region, form an urban cluster with the second largest population concentration in Namibia after the ...
, and
Oshikoto Oshikoto is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia, named after Lake Otjikoto. Its capital is Omuthiya. The city of Tsumeb, Otjikoto's capital until 2008, and the towns of Omuthiya and Oniipa are also situated in this region. , Oshikoto had 112, ...
).


Cancer

Due to exposure to sunshine and prevalence of
albinism Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albino. Varied use and interpretation of the term ...
, the most widespread cancer in Namibia is
skin cancer Skin cancers are cancers that arise from the skin. They are due to the development of abnormal cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. There are three main types of skin cancers: basal-cell skin cancer (BCC) ...
, with 581 cases reported in 2010 and 417 cases in 2011. The second most prevalent cancer is
Kaposi's sarcoma Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a type of cancer that can form masses in the skin, in lymph nodes, in the mouth, or in other organs. The skin lesions are usually painless, purple and may be flat or raised. Lesions can occur singly, multiply in a limite ...
, a disease related to HIV/AIDS, with 251 reported cases in 2011.


Cholera

There are occasional
Cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
outbreaks in the north of the country, particularly in the
Kunene Region Kunene is one of the fourteen regions of Namibia. Its capital is Opuwo, its governor is Marius Sheya. The region's name comes from the Kunene River which forms the northern border with Angola. Besides the capital Opuwo, the region contains the ...
.


Coronavirus

During the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
the country had its first confirmed cases on 14 March 2020.
Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
shut down air travel to and from Qatar, Ethiopia and Germany on the same day, closed all public and private schools, and prohibited large gatherings. This includes celebrations for the 30th anniversary of
Namibian independence The history of Namibia has passed through several distinct stages from being colonised in the late nineteenth century to Namibia's independence on 21 March 1990. From 1884, Namibia was a German colony: German South West Africa. After the First W ...
that takes place on 21 March. Libraries, museums, and art galleries were also closed.


HIV/AIDS

The
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
pandemic has had a huge impact on life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa in general, and in Namibia in particular. In 2003, Namibia was one of the countries in the world with the highest rates of HIV. 15.000 new cases of HIV each year, and 10.000 yearly deaths due to AIDS – and more than 30% of babies born to HIV-positive mothers were infected.Among numerous other initiatives the Namibian government began a cooperation with U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which have shown significant improvements in areas with high rates of HIV/AIDS. PEPFAR supplied the Namibian government with different types of aid; such as economic aid to comber HIV, providing Mobile ART clinics, and by hiring more health care personnel to urban and rural areas with a high amounts of HIV incidents. Overall, from 1990 to 2004 HIV/AIDS alone accounted for more lost life years than were gained by all other health improvements combined. Although new infections as well as deaths halved in the period from 2004 to 2013, life expectancy still has not reached pre-independence levels.
UNAIDS The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) (, ONUSIDA) is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The mission of UNAIDS is to lead, strengthen and support an e ...
chose Namibia as destination for the Worlds AIDS Day report in 2016, which was the first national AIDS conference in Namibia. In the last decade, the Namibian government has taken leadership and shown commitment in the national fight against HIV/AIDS, which is probably why Namibia stands to be one of the few countries in
Sub Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the African co ...
having a realistic chance of achieving the UNAIDS targets for HIV epidemic control by 2020. In 2016, more than 70% of Namibians were tested for HIV and now their status of HIV treatment is widely available across the country. Due to this, 67% of adults and 90% of children are on HIV treatment. As there is a large inequality throughout the Namibian population, it's important to mention that the Namibian government funds 65% of the national HIV response.


Leprosy

There is a small group of approximately 60
leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...
sufferers in the Kavango and
Caprivi Region The Zambezi Region is one of the 14 regions of Namibia. It is located in the north-eastern part of the country. It is largely concurrent with the major Zambezi River where it gets its name from. The region has eight constituencies and its capi ...
, most of them concentrated at Mashare, east of
Rundu Rundu is the capital and largest city of the Kavango-East Region in northern Namibia. It lies on the border with Angola on the banks of the Kavango River about above sea level. Rundu's population is growing rapidly. The 2001 census counted 36,9 ...
. Until the early 1980s this settlement contained a
leprosarium A leper colony, also known by many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. '' M. leprae'', the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believed to have spread from East Af ...
of considerable size for thousands of patients from
South-West Africa South West Africa ( af, Suidwes-Afrika; german: Südwestafrika; nl, Zuidwest-Afrika) was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990, after which it became modern-day Namibia. It bordered Angola (Portuguese colony before 1 ...
and its neighbours
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
and
Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...
.


Malaria

The
malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
problem seems to be compounded by the AIDS epidemic. Research has shown that in Namibia the risk of contracting malaria is 14.5% greater if a person is also infected with HIV. The risk of death from malaria is also raised by approximately 50% with a concurrent
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
infection.


Non-communicable diseases

Namibia faces a non-communicable disease burden. The Demographic and Health Survey (2013) summarises findings on elevated blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity:Ministry of Health and Social Services (2013)
ICF Macro (2013) Namibia Demographic and Health Survey 2013
* Among eligible respondents age 35–64, more than 4 in 10 women (44 percent) and men (45 percent) have elevated blood pressure or are currently taking medicine to lower their blood pressure. * Forty-nine percent of women and 61 percent of men are not aware that they have elevated blood pressure. * Forty-three percent of women and 34 percent of men with hypertension are taking medication for their condition. * Only 29 percent of women and 20 percent of men with hypertension are taking medication and have their blood pressure under control. * Six percent of women and 7 percent of men are diabetic. An additional 7 percent of women and 6 percent of men are prediabetic. * Sixty-seven percent of women and 74 percent of men with diabetes are taking medication to lower their blood glucose. * Women and men with a higher-than-normal body mass index (25.0 or higher) are more likely to have elevated blood pressure and elevated fasting blood glucose.


Illnesses related to malnutrition

The vast majority (87%) of Namibian children do not obtain the minimum acceptable diet as defined by the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
. About a quarter to a third of all children are
stunted Stunted growth is a reduced growth rate in human development. It is a primary manifestation of malnutrition (or more precisely undernutrition) and recurrent infections, such as diarrhea and helminthiasis, in early childhood and even before birth, ...
, which impacts on their overall development and health. Furthermore, 7% are
wasted Wasted may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature *'' Wasted: Tales of a GenX Drunk'', a 1997 memoir by Mark Judge *'' Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia'', a 1998 autobiography by Marya Hornbacher *'' Wasted: A Childhood Sto ...
, and 4% are overweight.


Tuberculosis

Namibia has a high rate of
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
sufferers; Overall, approximately 0.7 cases are reported per 1,000 inhabitants. In 2018, 8,000 infections occurred, and almost 700 people died. A hotspot of the disease is the coastal town of
Walvis Bay Walvis Bay ( en, lit. Whale Bay; af, Walvisbaai; ger, Walfischbucht or Walfischbai) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The c ...
where cold weather aids TB infections. Of particular concern are multi and extensively drug-resistant bacteria strains.


References

{{Africa topic, Health in