The Executive Director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Ben Nangombe, said plans are ongoing to address inequities and constraints to accessing health facilities.

Also to be reviewed is the conduct of healthcare workers and perceived shortcomings in project management.

Ben Nangombe addressed the opening of the '2025 to 2031 Strategic Plan Workshop' underway at Otjiwarongo, where the ministry's senior and key staff are reviewing its annual plans and performance agreements for the next financial year.

Nangombe says the ministry is putting in place measures to address challenges in the health sector.

"The strategic plan we will craft here will direct our efforts for the next five years. It is thus essential to recognise, own up to, and value what I can only term 'heavy responsibility.' For it is truly weighty on our individual and collective shoulders. As we reflect on our achievements, let us acknowledge the progress made recently. From expanding access to health services across Namibia, particularly in rural areas, to enhancing our response to public health emergencies. At the same time, however, you know and I know that gaps persist."

The Executive Director called on participants to ensure that its strategic plan is achievable and that it can serve as a practical walkthrough to reaching the ministry's goals, which include the provision of quality healthcare for all.

"The plans we craft here must be aimed at effectively addressing those gaps in all their manifestations. The challenges include inequities, access constraints, the conduct of healthcare workers, faltering project management, and tardy processes. This is not a complete list; it only lists a few of the challenges. We must put in place, through proper planning, effective responses to all these shortcomings."

Also included on the agenda is the conducting of an environmental scan and strategic analysis of the ministry, the formulation of actionable strategies until the 2030-2031 financial year, and performance agreements for the Minister, Executive Director and managers.

Nangombe stressed that the recently launched Ministerial Customer Service Charter and Service Charters for its Functional Units demonstrate the ministry's commitment to improved service delivery.