Allexer Namundjembo
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) lawmaker Rosa Mbinge-Tjeundo has asked the Ministry of Health and Social Services whether it has assessed the impact of the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Namibia’s health system.
She also asked whether such an assessment would be tabled before Parliament.
Mbinge-Tjeundo on Tuesday gave a notice to ask detailed questions to health minister Esperance Luvindao.
“The decision by the United States of America to formally withdraw from the World Health Organization represents a significant shift in global health governance, with real and lasting implications for developing countries that rely on coordinated international health systems,” Mbinge-Tjeundo said.
She said disease surveillance and local health capacity remain closely linked to global institutions such as WHO. She added that it is important to understand how geopolitical developments could affect national health programmes.
Mbinge-Tjeundo sought clarity on which WHO-supported technical and capacity-building programmes could be at risk due to reduced funding, “mainly in surveillance, emergency preparedness, and primary health care,” she said.
“How does the ministry intend to safeguard early-warning systems and outbreak response capabilities in the event that global disease surveillance networks coordinated by the World Health Organization become weakened?” she asked.
She further questioned how collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Southern African Development Community is being strengthened to address potential gaps arising from a weakened WHO and what resources are being allocated to these partnerships.
Mbinge-Tjeundo also asked how the ministry plans to “position the country diplomatically and strategically within the evolving global health order to ensure that national health priorities continue to receive adequate technical support, funding, and global cooperation,” she said.
The United States officially completed its withdrawal from the WHO on 22 January 2026, after a 12-month notice period that began in January 2025.
The U.S. government said it was withdrawing due to concerns about the WHO’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and issues related to governance and political influence within the organisation.
The WHO was established in 1948 and has counted the United States among its largest financial contributors.
Health experts have warned that the withdrawal could put pressure on the organisation’s funding and weaken coordinated disease surveillance and emergency response systems worldwide.
