During the first meeting of IntraHealth Namibia’s board of directors last month, members committed to addressing one of Namibia’s greatest health challenges: a shortage of trained, equitably distributed, well-equipped health workers.

IntraHealth International celebrated the launch of IntraHealth Namibia—an independent country-based affiliate—on August 15 in the capital city of Windhoek. IntraHealth Namibia will partner with the government and local organizations to address Namibia’s health workforce challenges, strengthen national and local health systems, and improve care for its population of 2.3 million people.

Namibia, now considered to be a middle-income country, has made great progress over the past two decades in reducing the rate of HIV among its population, improving maternal and child health outcomes, and increasing access to basic education and health services.  

But a shortage of health workers—particularly physicians and pharmacists—remains a challenge.

While Namibia is on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals related to education, the environment, and gender, the country is unlikely to meet goals for reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, and combating HIV.

IntraHealth Namibia, with country-led guidance, will respond to Namibia’s specific needs with a deep understanding of local context. The new organization will provide opportunities for local experts in information technology, health care, health systems, and other fields, and work to strengthen the capacity of other local partner organizations.

“I see IntraHealth making a significant contribution to the resources for health workers in Namibia—and it becoming the partner of choice in this field,” says IntraHealth Namibia board member Hans Bruno Gerdes, a legal practitioner and managing partner at Engling Stritter and Partners in Namibia.

IntraHealth Namibia’s volunteer board of directors includes:

• Filemon Amaambo, surgeon at LMS and chair of the University of Namibia Governing Council
• Griffort Beukes, senior manager of human resources at Agra Namibia
• Hans-Bruno Gerdes, legal practitioner at Engling Stritter and Partners
• Cornelius Weyulu, registrar of the Health Professions Council of Namibia
• Pamela McQuide, chief of party in Namibia at IntraHealth International
• Pape Gaye, president and CEO of IntraHealth International
• Trilaine Massey, director of budgeting and financial analysis at IntraHealth International

“The landscape of international development is changing, and the way we work at IntraHealth is rapidly evolving, as well,” says IntraHealth president and CEO Pape Gaye. “There has never been a time when nationally led solutions were more important. The government and communities of Namibia have shown great leadership and strength in their commitment to improving the health and prosperity of its 2.3 million people. Local affiliates such as IntraHealth Namibia allow us to provide timely and context-specific support in collaboration with other local partners. It opens up new opportunities to strengthen health systems regionally, mobilizing technical expertise from Namibia for use within the Southern African region. We’re thrilled to have such a dedicated and talented Namibian board of directors.”

IntraHealth’s current work in Namibia is supported by the US Agency for International Development.

Read more:

• Namibian Leaders Determined to Address Country's Health Disparities
• Applying the workload indicators of staffing need (WISN) method in Namibia: challenges and implications for human resources for health policy
• More about IntraHealth’s work in Namibia