Patience Makwele
Namibia is failing to detect more than a third of tuberculosis (TB) cases.
Health minister Esperance Luvindao said an estimated 34% of TB cases remain undiagnosed.
“While these numbers represent lives saved, our concern lies with the people we have not reached,” she said during World TB Day commemorations in Gobabis on Tuesday.
She said the challenge is more severe in rural areas, especially in the Omaheke region, which has the highest TB notification rate despite its low population density.
She said long travel distances to health facilities delay diagnosis and increase the risk of spread.
Hence, the ministry has deployed mobile screening teams with digital X-ray equipment to trace undiagnosed cases in remote areas.
Namibia recorded an 87% TB treatment success rate in 2024, close to global targets.
Treatment success for drug-resistant TB reached 75%, above international benchmarks.
TB and HIV services have also been integrated. Almost all TB patients are tested for HIV, and 99% of those who test positive are placed on treatment. HIV co-infection among TB patients has declined from over 65% in 2005 to 32% in 2025.
A World Health Organization (WHO) representative said undiagnosed cases, drug resistance and social factors such as poverty and overcrowding continue to drive the disease.
Luvindao launched the fifth edition of Namibia’s National Guidelines for the Management of TB to address these gaps.
The guidelines focus on improved detection, better diagnostics, wider preventive treatment and patient-centred care.
She called on regional authorities to strengthen support for health teams, saying weak implementation at the local level could slow progress.
She also warned that declining global funding means Namibia must increase domestic investment.
Namibia recorded 8 652 TB cases in 2024 and ranks 11th globally, with 468 cases per 100 000 people. Of these, 8 360 were drug-susceptible TB and 292 were drug-resistant.
“If we do not close the gap in detection, we will continue to fight a disease we cannot fully see,” Luvindao said.
Gobabis mayor Elvin Gariseb said communities must work together to end TB.
“We must stand together to end TB, stop stigmatisation and ensure that everyone has access to diagnosis and treatment,” he said.
WHO said TB remains one of the world’s deadliest diseases, with 10.6 million cases and 1.3 million deaths in 2022.
WHO has called for faster access to testing and treatment. It said new diagnostic tools can deliver results in less than an hour and help patients start treatment sooner.
“These new tools could be truly transformative for tuberculosis by bringing fast, accurate diagnosis closer to people, saving lives, curbing transmission and reducing costs,” said WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
WHO said the tests are cheaper and easier to use, including methods such as tongue swabs for patients who cannot produce sputum. It also highlighted pooled testing to reduce costs.
WHO said the same tools can be used to test for other diseases such as HIV, mpox and HPV.
Despite progress, WHO warned that more than 3 300 people die from TB each day and over 29 000 fall ill globally.
“Investing in TB is a strategic political and economic choice, generating up to US$43 in health and economic returns for every dollar spent,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva.
WHO said more funding is needed for research and development of new treatments and vaccines, as current investment remains below the required levels.
World TB Day is observed on 24 March each year to raise awareness and strengthen efforts to end the disease.
