WINDHOEK, June 21 — Namibia on Wednesday unveiled a comprehensive Tripartite One Health Strategy spanning 2024 to 2028 aimed at safeguarding the health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environment.
The initiative, launched jointly by the Ministries of Health and Social Services, Environment, Forestry and Tourism, and Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, along with the University of Namibia and supported by key stakeholders, seeks to enhance the country’s preparedness and response to public health emergencies.
At the launch event in Windhoek, the capital, Namibia’s Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula emphasized the importance of the strategy in addressing zoonotic diseases and other health threats that impact livelihoods and economies.
“Zoonotic diseases occurring at the human-animal-environment interface, such as rabies and food-borne illnesses, continue to pose significant challenges,” he said, noting that the One Health approach enhances coordination, communication, and collaboration across sectors to respond to these threats effectively.
Reflecting on global health challenges, Shangula highlighted Namibia’s experiences with various outbreaks, including cholera, anthrax, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the urgency for a coordinated national strategy.
Within the Namibian context, the One Health approach is necessary due to frequent reported outbreaks of zoonotic diseases, compounded by the effects of climate change, said Shangula.
Namibia’s Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform Carl Schlettwein said in a statement that the main threats for humankind ever since were the distinct possibility of famine, disease, and war.
The Namibian government has allocated over 4 million Namibian dollars (about 222,000 U.S. dollars) annually from its budget to support the implementation of the strategy. This funding aims to address specific interventions in key sectors and strengthen current health security measures, such as disease surveillance, programs to combat antimicrobial resistance, and control of wildlife diseases, Shangula added.
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