African health leaders are calling for greater investment, regional cooperation and self-reliance to improve health security on the continent as external funding declines. 

This was highlighted at the fifth Southern Africa Regional Ministerial Steering Committee meeting in Windhoek. 

The need for local pharmaceutical production in Namibia and the African continent was emphasised during a courtesy visit to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah by the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus.

The Ministry of Health and Social Services has called for stronger cross-border cooperation to prevent and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
 

The Ministry of Health and Social Services has taken measures to strengthen readiness and preparedness for disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
 

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has issued interim guidelines to African Union member states to strengthen surveillance and cross-border preparedness against the Ebola Bundibugyo strain.

The Ministry of Health and Social Services received N$18,4 million from Japanese Supplemental Budget Project to support health security, emergency preparedness and to strengthen its diagnostic capacity.

The funding and equipment were handed over in Windhoek today.

Former First Lady Monica Geingos, who serves as co chair of the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics said inequality is not inevitable but a political choice.

Geigons said that leaders can break the inequality pandemic cycle by applying the policy solutions proposed by the Council.