The Ministry of Health and Social Services is conducting regional consultations on the Universal Health Care Bill.
The consultations will discuss key provisions of the Bill, including access rights and financing reforms.
The alignment of the draft bill with national and global health commitments will form part of these discussions, while national priorities and community realities will be interrogated as part of the consultations.
The bill aims to ensure access to quality, affordable and equitable health services for all citizens. Deputy Director of Policy Planning and Health Financing, Ambrosius Uakurama, said, "We want to build a shared understanding of how the Bill strengthens service delivery, financial protection, equity, and accountability. We want to gather your perspectives, whatever recommendations we are going to be making, and concerns to inform the drafting process and ensure the Bill is inclusive, equitable, and contextually appropriate.
The consultation seeks participation from all the stakeholders to ensure the bill is inclusive, practical, fair and implementable.
The feedback from the stakeholders will shape the regulations, institutional roles, entitlement and accountability on the bill.
The policy was launched last year in October.
"The ministry started working on the Universal Health Coverage concept way back in 2018. That's when the ministry started with the draft paper, and it was submitted to the cabinet, and eventually it was also approved in the same year, 2022. The following year there was a consultation that was done that involved national stakeholders and submitted presentations from the regions, and then from there this has culminated into a draft document that we are going to share today.
" Director of Health in the Kavango East Region, Ida Mendai, said the UHC speaks to a simple but powerful idea that every Namibian, regardless of where they live or their economic situation, should be able to access health care when they need it, with dignity and without fear of financial hardship.
"Many of our communities now have clinics, and they have health centres closer to their homes than ever before. And in recent years, we have also seen new facilities being constructed across the country, existing ones upgraded, and outreach services strengthened and expanded. These investments reflect the government's commitment to improve the health and well-being of our people, in line with Vision 2030."
After the regional consultations, the feedback will be documented and consolidated to refine the bill and guide the regulation for the drafting of the bill's provisions.