Justicia Shipena
Namibia’s newly launched National Digital Health Policy 2026–2036 will lay the groundwork for a law to regulate digital health providers and protect patient data as the country expands the use of technology in healthcare.
The policy was launched on Friday in Windhoek by the minister of health and social services, Esperance Luvindao.
Luvindao stated that the policy will serve as a guide for the drafting of a Digital Health Bill.
The planned law will provide legal certainty, safeguard patient privacy and regulate the digital health services operating in the country.
Digital health involves the use of information and communication technologies, data and computer systems to support decision-making and improve health services.
This includes electronic medical records, mobile health applications and telemedicine.
She said the policy aligns Namibia with global and regional frameworks, including the World Health Organisation’s Global Strategy on Digital Health, as well as digital transformation strategies adopted by the African Union and Africa CDC.
She said this places Namibia within a wider effort to modernise health systems across the continent.
Reflecting on Namibia’s public health journey, Luvindao noted progress in addressing HIV, tuberculosis, and other diseases, as well as the introduction of systems such as the software for district health information in 2014.
She said challenges remain, including rising communicable and non-communicable diseases, unequal access to services, shortages of health workers and digital systems that do not communicate with each other.
“Inequalities in access to health services persist, especially for our rural communities, and continue to be compounded by an unevenly distributed health workforce.”
She further said poor system integration has real effects on patients and health workers, including missing records, repeated tests, medicine shortages and delays in treatment.
The policy aims to address these gaps by creating a coordinated and connected digital health system across the country.
The policy sets out six key objectives. These focus on strengthening governance, building secure and interoperable digital infrastructure, improving digital skills among health workers, supporting local innovation, expanding access to digital health services in underserved areas and ensuring sustainable financing through domestic resources and partnerships.
Luvindao called on health workers to take ownership of the policy, saying digital systems are meant to reduce administrative burdens and allow more time for patient care.
She said work on the Digital Health Bill has already started and marks the beginning of implementation.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the policy, describing it as a key step toward improving healthcare services and protecting health data.
Speaking at the same event, WHO country representative Richard Banda said the policy shows leadership by the ministry.
He said the policy supports Namibia’s goal of universal health coverage and strengthens governance and data protection.
“Digital health is not an end in itself. We must use it wisely,” he said, adding that technology should improve health services and reduce inequality rather than widen it.
He said the WHO will continue working with the ministry to strengthen digital systems, improve data sharing and build national capacity.
Banda said the focus must now shift to real outcomes, including better data, connected facilities, supported health workers and improved service delivery.
