The minister of health and social services, Kalumbi Shangula, says there is still a need for vigilance and action against leprosy as Namibia has recorded 28 cases in the current financial year.
He made these remarks during the fifth commemoration of World Leprosy Day at Kongola in the Zambezi region yesterday.
The theme for the 2025 World Leprosy Day is ‘Unite. Act. Eliminate’.
Shangula said although Namibia has largely eliminated leprosy as a public health concern, whereby it records fewer than one case per 10 000 people, sporadic cases persist.
He added that they are committed to drastically interrupting leprosy transmission by 2027, although regions such as the Oshana, Kavango West, Kavango East, Khomas and Zambezi have reported various cases.
“Cases, some new, some relapses, amount to 28 cases in total for the current financial year. The national tuberculosis and leprosy programme’s recent leprosy assessment in the Oshana, Omusati and Kavango West regions brought 11 new cases to light. Therefore, there is a critical need for continued vigilance and action,” he said.
Shangula further highlighted that leprosy patients no longer need to be referred to a selected number of health facilities, as all district hospitals across Namibia can effectively treat and cure it.
He added that through early detection and initiation of prompt treatment, the country has made commendable progress, especially in high-burdened regions such as the Kavango East, Kavango West, Zambezi and Oshana regions.
“The ongoing process of updating our national guidelines for the management of leprosy to reflect the latest World Health Organisation recommendations further cements our path forward,” he said.
Zambezi regional governor Lawrence Sampofu has urged communities to be more supportive of those affected by leprosy by taking care of them rather than treating them like outcasts.
“Those suffering from leprosy should also have the courage to speak out so that they are assisted, as Namibia is for all and no one should be left out,” he says.
