Interactive NSA hub to aid in Covid battle

Staff Reporter - To ensure that Namibians are protected from Covid-19 and further strengthen the country’s health system, the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) spearheading a new partnership that puts real-time Covid-19 and health data at the fingertips of decision-makers and the general public alike. The NSA’s partners in the project are the ministry of health and social services, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), the Global Partner for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) and GRID3.“At the Namibia Statistics Agency we are firmly committed to decision-making that is based on accurate and timely data. The new Covid-19 hub is anchored in this philosophy and we are excited to embark on this path together with our partners,” said the NSA’s manager of data processing, Tulimegameno Amutenya.The information will aid high risk groups and help identify the most effective Covid-19 prevention and response policies. “We all together must ensure the most effective use of data to continue to swiftly control the pandemic while providing transparent and high-quality information to all Namibians,” Amutenya added.Openly accessibleIn an effort to make the crucial geospatial data available universally, findings are openly accessible on the hub, which allows for easy interaction and interpretation for experts and users new to the field of data. The interactive online repository was produced in collaboration with GRID3 and Esri, supported by GPSDD and UNECA. It is the most recent addition to GRID3’s ever-increasing digital visualisation suite, which highlights Covid-19 incidence, prevalence, and other key geospatial data in numerous Sub-Saharan African countries.The statistician general of the NSA, Alex Shimuafeni, highlighted how the platform came at the right time, when the nation looks to the NSA for quality statistics on the economy and social wellbeing of its citizens. Shimuafeni said when president Hage Geingob first called for a lockdown early this year due to Covid-19, “future economic hardships and challenges were clearly inevitable”. “The question was more on how we as a country could monitor its outcomes and all other social challenges it would bring. There were calls from the public for a one-stop shop, that allows for the monitoring of effects of Covid. Well, here we are,” he said.Comprehensive overviewIn addition to Covid-19 case numbers, recoveries, and death toll, the site features data on the health risks that can make the virus particularly dangerous. The location of people suffering from ailments like diabetes, heart conditions, respiratory illnesses, or cancer are comprehensively mapped and can be analysed and combined with other exacerbating characteristics like population density and access to information technology. This allows the user to obtain a comprehensive overview of health risks in the country.The release of the Covid-19 hub marks the first major output of the strategic partnership between government and GRID3, in collaboration with Esri. All sides are now looking to strengthen the partnership and accelerate efforts that would ensure the steady availability of up-to-date data for the country’s government and population.

Interactive NSA hub to aid in Covid battle

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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Interactive NSA hub to aid in Covid battle

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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