The Minister of Health and Social Services has achieved a treatment success rate of 88 percent for all forms of TB.

However, 497 cases of TB and 42 deaths were recorded during the 2024/25 period.

Namibia is only two percent short of the World Health Organization's target of 90 percent.

The treatment success rate of patients with drug-resistant TB stands at 74 percent.

Although the country has made progress in addressing TB, of concern are the cases of TB/HIV co-infection, begging for the integration of HIV and TB services in all health facilities.

In a speech read on her behalf, the health minister pointed to the need to enhance public health interventions against TB, which include access to rapid diagnostic tests and ensuring prompt and accurate diagnoses for suspected cases.

"We are in this together. As we commemorate World TB Day today, let us be reminded that the fight against TB is far from over. We must continue to be vigilant, compassionate, and committed to eliminating TB as a health threat alongside other infectious diseases."

The ministry, with its partners, has, however, recorded a decline in the HIV positivity rate among TB patients, from almost 60 percent in 2005 to 20 percent in 2023.

It says TB care and treatment services have since been decentralized to subnational levels, including health posts, which are grassroots facilities, to ensure that TB treatment is accessible to patients.

The World Health Organization's representative in Namibia affirmed the WHO's support through strategic guidance, technical assistance, and enhanced surveillance.

"Namibia needs to urgently step up domestic financing to safeguard essential health services, including access to life-saving medicines, diagnostics, and treatment. Notably, Namibia needs to expand community-led initiatives and prioritize equitable TB care to ensure that no one is left behind."

Other interventions include the revitalization of national collaboration platforms and fostering alliances among civil society, NGOs, donors, and professional societies.

WHO also suggested that breakthroughs in TB treatment must reach the people who need them most, particularly children under five and older adults, who often go undiagnosed.

World TB Day was commemorated at Tsandi in the Omusati Region under the theme "Yes, we can end TB: Commit, Invest, and Deliver."