Health and social services minister Kalumbi Shangula says Namibia recorded 12 286 malaria cases countrywide this year, as well as 28 deaths.
Shangula announced this on Wednesday during a World Malaria Day event at the Herbert Conradie Stadium at Khorixas.
This event was observed under the theme, ‘Advancing Health Equity, Gender Equality and Human Rights’.
Shangula said the highest numbers of reported cases were from the Zambezi, Ohangwena, Kavango East, Kavango West and Oshikoto regions, with each region reporting more than a thousand cases.
“Sadly, 28 people have lost their lives to the disease, reminding us that malaria remains a serious public health challenge,” Shangula said.
Despite the overall increase in cases, the Khorixas district has made significant progress.
According to Shangula, the district reduced malaria cases from seven in 2020 to just one case in 2024, with zero cases recorded in 2022.
The Simon Kunene Award, named after the late epidemiologist Simon Kunene from Eswatini, was established to recognise exceptional efforts in malaria control and elimination.
“Let us continue to work together with determination and unity so that future generations can live in a world free from the burden of malaria,” Shangula said.
While celebrating the achievements at Khorixas, Shangula emphasised that the battle against malaria is far from over.
He said the country must maintain its efforts to eliminate malaria as a public health threat by 2025.
The health ministry also launched the 2024 national Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) campaign at the event.
According to Shangula, the initiative is an important intervention towards malaria elimination and ensuring healthier communities across the nation.
“Through IRS, we protect thousands of households by applying long-lasting insecticides on the interior walls of homes, where malaria-carrying mosquitoes are most likely to rest,” he said.
World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative Richard Banda said IRS is a powerful intervention which can rapidly lead to a reduction in malaria transmissions.
He said IRS should be implemented in combination with interventions that have proven or potential efficacy.
The campaign faces the challenge of refusals from communities that are not equipped with appropriate information.
To address some of these challenges, it is recommended to strengthen community mobilisation and engagement, he said.
Banda added that the WHO is taking steps to help countries counter these threats and build a more resilient response to malaria.
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