Allexer Namundjebo
The Ministry of Health and Social Services has placed digital systems at the centre of its N$12.2 billion allocation for the 2025/2026 financial year.
The goal with the allocation is to modernise healthcare and improve its accessibility, especially in remote areas.
Health Minister Dr Esperance Luvindao presented the health vote in the National Assembly.
She said the ministry is addressing long-standing service gaps through investment in digital infrastructure.
“We are deliberately investing in digital health infrastructure to close service delivery gaps, particularly in remote and underserved areas,” Luvindao said. “Digitisation is no longer optional. It is essential for improving access, efficiency, and quality of care.”
The health budget now accounts for 11.5 per cent of the national budget. The figure is an increase of N$927.4 million from the previous year.
All public hospitals and 23 health centres are already connected to the digital network. The ministry plans to expand this to 18 more health centres and 30 clinics.
Five healthcare centres and 18 clinics are already using digital systems.
Luvindao said this is part of the ministry’s move towards a fully digital e-health system that gives health workers real-time access to patient records.
“We are seeing tangible improvements, such as the increased completion rate for Medical Certification of Cause of Death, which has risen from 45 per cent to 70 per cent, while forensic autopsy reporting has exceeded 90 per cent following the adoption of the ICD-11 standard,” she said.
Disease surveillance systems have been extended to more than 90 clinics outside district hospitals. This initiative supports better data management and policy-making.
The ministry has set aside N$62.5 million to review the e-Health Strategy, finalise the Telehealth Policy, and carry out the National Demographic and Health Survey.
To address medicine shortages, the ministry is digitising procurement and distribution using tools such as the Electronic Dispensing Tool, a pharmaceutical dashboard, and warehouse systems.
“We are re-engineering our supply chain through digitalisation to ensure that medicines and clinical items are always available,” Luvindao said. “In addition, we plan to construct a new Central Medical Stores facility to tackle storage and distribution challenges.”
The ministry is also introducing digital patient registration and expanding telehealth to reach rural communities.
“Universal health coverage requires smart systems that are responsive and patient-centred,” said Luvindao. “Technology will help us achieve that goal.”
With international funding for HIV and TB programs decreasing, Luvindao says the government will use domestic funding to sustain services.
The Ministry will continue the Social Contracting for Health model and the Sustainability Roadmap.
The push for digital health began between 2007 and 2017, under former ministers Dr Bernard Haufiku and Dr Kalumbi Shangula.
With USAID support, the ministry developed tools for managing antiretroviral therapy and pharmaceutical supplies.
These included the Electronic Dispensing Tool, the Facility Electronic Stock Card, and the Pharmaceutical Management Information Dashboard.
The country rolled out the FESC at 51 sites in 2016 to improve stock management. In 2021, the ministry launched a national e-health strategy and moved from paper to electronic records.
In 2022, it introduced the integrated Human Resources Information System to manage workforce data.
These steps build on work by past ministers and show the ministry’s continued focus on digitalising healthcare and improving service delivery.
