The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MHSS) Namibia is the public provider of quality health and social welfare services in Namibia.

National Directorates

• Primary Health Care Services
• Social Welfare Services
• Special Programs
• Tertiary Health Care & Clinical Support Services
• Finance and Logistics
• HRM & General Services
• Policy, Planning and HRD
• Atomic Energy and Radiation Protection Regulator

 

 

THE STRATEGY: DEVELOPMENT AND STRENGTHENING

• The Ministry of Health and Social Services shall continue to determine priorities and formulate strategies and detailed plans of action for the development, strengthening and smooth running of health and social welfare service programmes aimed at achieving the goal and objectives of the Ministry.
• The Ministry shall ensure that adequate operational support services will be provided in the management of finance, personnel, logistics, information, transport, and estates in order to facilitate the efficient delivery of health and social welfare services at all levels.

 

 

SERVICES PROVISION

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

Primary Health Care services shall be the focal point of health care provided to communities in Namibia, in collaboration with other relevant sectors. These services include:

• The promotion of proper nutrition and adequate supply and utilisation of safe water;
• Reproductive health including maternal, child care and family planning;
• Immunisation against the major infectious diseases;
• Promotion of basic housing and proper sanitation;
• Prevention and control of locally endemic diseases;
• Appropriate treatment of common diseases and condition;
• Education and training concerning prevailing health and social problems in.the communities and the methods of preventing and controlling them;
• Community based services, empowerment and self-reliance;
• Promotion and maintenance of oral and mental health;
• Development and implementation of appropriate district health packages and management support teams (RMT)

 

SECONDARY AND TERTIARY LEVEL SERVICES

Secondary and tertiary health care services in Namibia shall be rationalized and appropriately strengthened to provide an integrated system of referral and supervisory support for primary health care services. The secondary and tertiary health care levels of services will also be used for training health and social workers as centre for research.

 

PROVISION OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND REHABLITATIVE SERVICES
 

• The Ministry of Health and Social Services will contribute to the social and economic development of the country by designing and implementing a developmental, community-centred and participatory social welfare policy which will promote the social, mental, spiritual and physical well-being of all habitants.
• The Ministry in collaboration with other government and non-governmental agencies will make social welfare, services, social allowances and relief available to those Namibians most in need of such assistance.

The following other services will also be provided:

• Prevention of social problems through advocacy towards equal opportunities, promotion of human security, community development, poverty reduction and responsible lifestyles.
• Provision of remedial and psycho-social rehabilitation services, using methods such as counselling, cognitive and behavioural therapies, motivational interviews, group therapies, play-music therapy and life skill training.
• Provision of institutional care as a last resort for vulnerable people and groups.

 

HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES REFORMS
 

• The Ministry of Health and Social Services shall incorporate all existing health and social services in a rationalised form to address the health and social issues that Namibia will face in the future. The key features of the Ministry shall be the following:
• Local level primary health care and social welfare services in community health centres and clinics, as well as outreach services to remote rural outreach posts or visiting points shall be appropriately strengthened and expanded in accordance with the needs of disadvantaged and undeserved communities.
• District level health services comprising at least one district hospital, health centres, clinics, as well as rural health posts shall be established. District co-ordinating committees shall be responsible for identifying the health and social needs of local communities and devising solutions to meet these needs.
• The Regional Health Directorates shall be phased out as the Regional Management Teams (RMT’s) are phased in. 
• Devolving operational authority in areas such as transport, logistics, personnel management, recruitment, intra-regional tranfers, diciplinary actions and financial management and related budget and control to regional and district levels. This should enable the National level to concentrate on providing technical support to Regional Management teams (RMT’s), Human Resource Development (HRD), clinical and administrative performance auditing, resource mobilization, international relations, regulation and setting standards and norms.