Outgoing World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Namibia, Charles Sagoe-Moses has said there is a need for Namibia to continue strengthening its health personnel capacity to ensure universal health coverage and primary health care.

Speaking to the media during a courtesy visit to President Hage Geingob at State House on Tuesday, Sagoe-Moses said Namibia should invest in community health workers in efforts to provide universal health coverage so every Namibian has access to a full range of quality health services, without financial hardship.

“We need to invest in community health workers and the grassroots to continue emphasising on primary health care in support of universal health coverage where every Namibian, regardless of where you are… You get the health care you need when you need it without any financial burden on you,” he said.

He further noted that there is a need to continue strengthening the area of communicable diseases, epidemic prevention, preparedness and response, saying that COVID-19 experiences has made Namibia more prepared and ready to address almost any outbreak.

Sagoe-Moses indicated that recently, WHO assisted the ministry of health and social services with over N.dollars 51 million through an emergency flagship initiative aimed at strengthening the provision of emergency health care.

He commended Namibia for its improved maternal death rates over the past two decades, noting that since 2008 Namibia remained polio free, despite bordering polio-prone countries. Namibia equally won the fight against Hepatitis E.

President Geingob thanked Sagoe-Moses for his tremendous work while in Namibia, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency