WINDHOEK, Nov. 14 — Namibia on Thursday launched a nationwide cancer awareness, testing and palliative care initiative as part of a broader drive to expand access to specialized health services amid rising cancer cases across the country. Speaking at the launch, Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare said the program is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen early detection and extend treatment services to communities outside the capital, Windhoek. He said that the pressure on Windhoek’s hospitals, where oncology services remain centralized, is increasing as Namibia diagnoses about 4,000 new cancer cases annually, with numbers rising by 12 percent each year. “This initiative is a deliberate effort to bring essential services closer to our people and ensure timely care for every Namibian,” Ngurare said. According to the prime minister, Namibia has committed to major health system reforms, including a 16.1-billion-Namibian-dollar (about 934 million U. S. dollars) multi-year program to reinforce public health infrastructure and establish new radiotherapy services in the northern region. He said a national cancer control plan is also being finalized to guide prevention, early diagnosis, and palliative care nationwide. The new initiative will deploy mobile clinics to conduct breast, cervical and prostate cancer testing in northern Namibia and surrounding communities, aiming to increase screening uptake and raise awareness in remote areas.
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