Poverty, distance block access to women’s healthcare – Ndjaleka

No woman or girl in Namibia should be denied life-saving reproductive care because of financial circumstances, address or background, yet many still do not receive the care they need, deputy health minister Suzan Ndjaleka says.Ndjaleka, speaking on Wednesday at a regional consultation on sustainable financing for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), said despite substantial investments, structural challenges continue to affect the delivery of essential health services.“Disparities between private and public health financing systems, persistent adolescent pregnancy rates and geographic distances in rural communities require us to push beyond routine budgeting,” she stressed.“Our objective is clear: financial status, geography and socio-economic standing must never prevent a young woman or mother from obtaining lifesaving reproductive healthcare,” Ndjaleka added.Between 13% and 15% of Namibia's national budget is allocated to the health sector, compared with a regional median of 5.9% in domestic government health expenditure, the deputy minister said.However, Ndjaleka said healthcare spending must translate into better outcomes for communities, particularly those facing geographical and socio-economic barriers.“We must turn our focus to allocative efficiency, ensuring that every dollar spent yields maximum clinical and social impact,” she said.Prioritise women’s health servicesGovernment's universal health coverage policy and a multi-year implementation roadmap incorporate comprehensive SRHR interventions into the essential health benefit package.“Family planning, maternal healthcare, adolescent and youth services and gender-based violence interventions form the very foundation of social and economic resilience,” the deputy minister said.Ndjaleka added that public budgets alone could not close the financing gap.She called for stronger collaboration between the health and finance ministries, and for evidence-based investment cases to demonstrate that reproductive healthcare is an economic investment rather than a financial burden.She also urged countries to explore alternative financing mechanisms, including pooled funds, blended financing and partnerships with the private sector, to strengthen reproductive health infrastructure and local service delivery.The three-day regional consultation, which ends today, brings together representatives from ministries of health and finance across East and Southern Africa, as well as development partners, investors, civil society organisations and regional institutions.

Poverty, distance block access to women’s healthcare – Ndjaleka

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-13

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Poverty, distance block access to women’s healthcare – Ndjaleka

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-13

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