Namibia is still among the countries that are committed to ending AIDS by 2030.

The Kavango East Region has recorded over 3,300 cases of malaria so far this year.

In response, the Ministry of Health and Social Services is urging residents to allow indoor residual spray teams into their homes as the malaria prevention campaign officially kicks off this Monday. 

First Lady Sustjie Mbumba hosted a high-level Roundtable Discussion on inequalities, HIV, TB, Malaria, and Pandemics at State House on Friday.

During the opening of the discussion, Madame Mbumba encouraged individuals and organisations to speak out against inequality or injustice.

Namibia has not achieved the malaria elimination goal, and cases have more than doubled compared to the 2022 end-line target.

This is despite a marked reduction in the number of malaria cases in the country.

Malaria cases decreased by 95%, from over 66,000 in 2017 to 3,000 in 2019.

Namibia has recorded 10,800 cases of malaria and 30 deaths since January this year. The national indoor residual spraying campaign has thus been launched at Okongo in Ohangwena, one of the regions vulnerable to malaria.

In 2021, the country recorded 13,732 cases of malaria.

Scientists have genetically modified mosquitoes with the ability to slow the growth of malaria-causing parasites in their gut, an advance that can help prevent transmission of the disease to humans.