Infant mortality declines amid challenges – health ministry

Namibia’s infant mortality rate declined by just over three percent over the past two years, the Ministry of Health and Social Services has reported.

The infant mortality rate declined from 27.248 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2023, to 25.414 deaths per 1 000 live births in 2024, representing a 3.06% decrease. This follows a 4.3% decline in the same statistic from 2022 to 2023, says the health ministry’s executive director, Ben Nangombe.

The primary causes of infant mortality remain prematurity, birth asphyxia, congenital anomalies, infectious disease and malnutrition, he says.

Nangombe also states that the Oshana and Khomas regions continue to record particularly high infant mortality rates.

“[These] regions have referral hospitals with access to specialists. As a result, babies are often referred to these regions for advanced care, but some may, unfortunately, pass away at the referral hospitals. There are also contributing factors that need to be considered, such as socio-economic disparities, healthcare accessibility and educational attainment.”

Nangombe says the ministry is committed to providing access to maternal and child healthcare services, especially in rural and underserved areas. Various methods are used to achieve this aim, including “mobile health clinics, community health workers, strengthening primary healthcare facilities, referral systems, maternal and child health programmes and public health education,” he adds.

– Nampa

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