National rehab centre a priority for Namibia – Luvindao
Substance abuse needs urgent attention, ministry says
Namibia's per capita alcohol consumption of 12 litres is significantly higher than the global average of five litres, according to experts.
Namibia is taking a major step towards tackling substance abuse, with the health and social services ministry saying final discussions are underway to establish a national rehabilitation centre.
The announcement was made on Monday in Windhoek by health minister Dr Esperance Luvindao during a parliamentary workshop on tobacco and alcohol control policies.
The event was held in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“This is long overdue, we understand,” Luvindao said, confirming that discussions with the ministry’s executive director, Penda Ithindi, are nearing completion.
The minister emphasised that the overwhelming burden of substance abuse and addiction on the country's healthcare system, including on mental health wards, necessitates urgent action.
“A lot of the issues that we are faced with right now at the mental health units and the mental health wards have to do with substance-induced psychosis,” Luvindao said.
“And a lot of the people that are plagued by these... these are the young people. Consistently the young people.”
Luvindao described tobacco and alcohol as two of the most pressing but under-discussed threats to public health in Namibia.
“It’s something that is not spoken about enough,” she said, noting that the health sector continues to bear the brunt of this crisis.
“We’re here to protect the health of the people, and we will do whatever is needed in order to do that.”
Be bold and proactive
The minister furthermore urged policymakers not to shy away from difficult but bold decisions, particularly regarding taxation on harmful substances.
“We cannot be intimidated to say, ‘If we increase this tax too high, people are going to start striking.’ Well, then let them strike.”
She also challenged the country’s reactive approach to public health, calling for stronger investment in preventative measures.
“If we realise the importance of prevention, even the cost that we spend on healthcare drops drastically... because then we don’t have to deal with the aftermath of someone drinking themselves nearly to death.”
Big drinkers
She noted that although Namibia has made strides through the Tobacco Product Control Act of 2010 and its regulations, gaps remain. Cessation support, for example, is not applied systematically and enforcement of smoke-free zones is still weak in some areas.
“There's more to be done. I am not one to focus only on the good that has been done.”
Also addressing the workshop, WHO representative Dr Richard Banda, in remarks read on his behalf by health promotion and social determinants officer Celia Kuanatjike, stressed that tobacco and alcohol use are major drivers of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which account for 41% of deaths in Namibia.
He noted that Namibia’s per capita alcohol consumption of 12 litres is significantly higher than the global average of five litres.
Banda highlighted progress at a global level through the 'Mpower and Safer' strategies but called for intensified action.
“We must act decisively to protect health by closing the remaining policy gaps, strengthening enforcement and investing in proven tools.”
The four-day workshop aims to equip policymakers with the tools and evidence needed to reform tax and legal frameworks for tobacco and alcohol control.
The announcement was made on Monday in Windhoek by health minister Dr Esperance Luvindao during a parliamentary workshop on tobacco and alcohol control policies.
The event was held in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“This is long overdue, we understand,” Luvindao said, confirming that discussions with the ministry’s executive director, Penda Ithindi, are nearing completion.
The minister emphasised that the overwhelming burden of substance abuse and addiction on the country's healthcare system, including on mental health wards, necessitates urgent action.
“A lot of the issues that we are faced with right now at the mental health units and the mental health wards have to do with substance-induced psychosis,” Luvindao said.
“And a lot of the people that are plagued by these... these are the young people. Consistently the young people.”
Luvindao described tobacco and alcohol as two of the most pressing but under-discussed threats to public health in Namibia.
“It’s something that is not spoken about enough,” she said, noting that the health sector continues to bear the brunt of this crisis.
“We’re here to protect the health of the people, and we will do whatever is needed in order to do that.”
Be bold and proactive
The minister furthermore urged policymakers not to shy away from difficult but bold decisions, particularly regarding taxation on harmful substances.
“We cannot be intimidated to say, ‘If we increase this tax too high, people are going to start striking.’ Well, then let them strike.”
She also challenged the country’s reactive approach to public health, calling for stronger investment in preventative measures.
“If we realise the importance of prevention, even the cost that we spend on healthcare drops drastically... because then we don’t have to deal with the aftermath of someone drinking themselves nearly to death.”
Big drinkers
She noted that although Namibia has made strides through the Tobacco Product Control Act of 2010 and its regulations, gaps remain. Cessation support, for example, is not applied systematically and enforcement of smoke-free zones is still weak in some areas.
“There's more to be done. I am not one to focus only on the good that has been done.”
Also addressing the workshop, WHO representative Dr Richard Banda, in remarks read on his behalf by health promotion and social determinants officer Celia Kuanatjike, stressed that tobacco and alcohol use are major drivers of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which account for 41% of deaths in Namibia.
He noted that Namibia’s per capita alcohol consumption of 12 litres is significantly higher than the global average of five litres.
Banda highlighted progress at a global level through the 'Mpower and Safer' strategies but called for intensified action.
“We must act decisively to protect health by closing the remaining policy gaps, strengthening enforcement and investing in proven tools.”
The four-day workshop aims to equip policymakers with the tools and evidence needed to reform tax and legal frameworks for tobacco and alcohol control.
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