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Namibia: Healthcare System
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 The Republic
of Namibia lies in the southwest of the African continent,
bordering South Africa, Angola, Zambia and Botswana. Traditionally
inhabited by various Bushmen, and later, Bantu tribes, Namibia
became a German colony in the late 19th century until after the
First World War, when it was handed over to South Africa. Discord
over this arrangement came to a head in the 1960s; following civil
unrest, Namibia became first a United Nations protectorate and
finally an independent nation in 1990. The country is rich in
mineral wealth. Mining, along with agriculture and tourism, form
the basis of Namibia’s economy. Despite its small population of
2.1 million, making it the least densely populated country in
Africa, Namibia is host to a wide variety of cultures, including
Ovambo, Herero, Himba, Khoisan along with significant minorities
of German, Dutch, British, French, Portuguese and Chinese. The
official language of Namibia is English, although Afrikaans is
widely understood and half the population speaks Oshimwambo as a
mother tongue.
As with many sub Saharan African countries, Namibia’s most serious
public health concern is HIV infection; it is estimated that
approximately 15 percent of adults carry the disease. Tuberculosis
infection rates are also much higher than the global average,
though are actually low for the region, with 290 cases per 100,000
people. Malaria is also a major concern, and these factors
combined serve to limit Namibian life expectancy at birth to only
59 years for males and 63 for females.
Total expenditure on health is about USD338 annually, while this
is a significant improvement on a decade ago, it still represents
a small fraction of the regional average and is about 4.9 percent
of GDP. Government expenditure makes up about two thirds of total
health care spending, with private care making up the rest.
Private Namibia health insurance makes up a declining proportion
of total private health spending, currently at 61.0 percent, down
from 86.5 percent in 2001, as patients are increasingly paying out
of pocket for care.
In general, Namibian access to and utilization of health care
resources are globally inferior, but exceed that of its regional
neighbors in Africa. For example, 81 percent of Namibian births
are attended by skilled health care professionals, compared with
only 47 percent regionally. Antenatal check-ups are much more
common, with 70 percent of Namibians taking their infants to at
least four visits to a doctor or health clinic, compared with 44
percent in the rest of Africa. This can partially be attributed to
Namibia’s health workforce. Although there is a major shortage of
physicians, with 3 per 10,000 people, there are 30.6 nurses and
midwives, nearly triple the regional norm.
Although most urban Namibians have access to improved drinking
water sources, this is not the case in rural areas, although
serious improvement has been made over the past two decades and
now nearly 90- percent of rural residents can get clean water.
However, sanitation facilities are another matter, with a decline
in improved sanitation facilities recorded in urban areas since
the 1990s, perhaps due to economic dislocation due to HIV and
malaria.
The Namibian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation
(WHO) have collaborated in outlining their Millennium Development
Goals. To date, serious progress has been made in the reduction of
childhood mortality; improvement of maternal health; the reduction
of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis; and environmental
sustainability.
In 2006, the WHO Global Alert and Response team reported an
outbreak of poliomyelitis in Namibia, which had previously been
thought eradicated in 1996. Thirty-four suspected cases were
reported in the country, where approximately 60 to 80 percent of
inhabitants are immunised against polio. The last reported
outbreak of the plague occurred in northwestern Namibia in 1999.
The US Centers for Disease Control recommend a number of
precautions for travelers to Nambia, beginning with a visit to a
travel health specialist four to six weeks before departure to
ensure routine immunizations are updated. In tropical environments
like Namibia, malaria is one of the top health concerns.
Anti-malarial medication should be taken on a prophylactic basis;
atavaquone, proguanil, doxycycline and mefloquine are equally
effective. Drugs should be purchased in your home country to
ensure safety of supply. Long sleeved clothing, insect repellent
and mosquito repellent bed nets should also be used to prevent
malaria as well as other insect borne diseases common to Namibia.
As in most travel destinations, the number one medical complaint
is often gastrointestinal distress. Avoiding raw and undercooked
food and ice cubes, and drinking only bottled water should
minimize risk. Over the counter anti diarrheal medication should
relieve acute cases, although patients suffering from persistent
discomfort should visit a physician.
Namibia is a poor country, and health care resources in remote
areas can be very limited, given the low density of the
population. Given these restraints, emergency evacuation by
helicopter and / or airplane will often be required for situations
requiring serious medical attention. It is vitally important that
insurance and other arrangements are planned ahead of time to
handle these serious contingencies.
If you are planning to visit southern Africa and Namibia is one of
your destinations, Globalsurance can provide in-depth
consultations to assist with your international travel health
insurance needs. Globalsurance boasts a dedicated roster of
experienced teams worldwide, with experienced advisors who can
provided detailed options around the clock, with policies for
individual travelers, families and tour groups large and small.
Namibia health insurance policies cover a full range of medical
services including: dental, maternity, specialist consultation,
transportation, inpatient services and more. Contact a
Globalsurance adviser today for further international health
insurance details.
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