NPHI Stories: Inaugural Visit to Namibia's Ministry of Health and Social Services

An April 2016 CDC meeting in Namibia revealed just how eager the country is to build a strong National Public Health Institute (NPHI). During the meeting between CDC’s NPHI and Namibia’s Ministry of Health (MoH) and Social Services (MoHSS), participants kept repeating the phrase, "the time to act is now.”

During its first visit to the country, CDC learned about Namibia’s public health system and its goals to build an NPHI. CDC also talked about public health plans for the future with the diverse groups attending.

Discussions on the threat of yellow fever and malaria outbreaks made it clear of Namibia’s critical public health need for effective surveillance and laboratory systems, as well as underscoring that the two systems should to be coordinated by integrating them into one body.

Plans are underway for another NPHI workshop in Namibia for late summer or early fall 2016. The goal—keeping the momentum rolling for building Namibia’s NPHI vision and first public health systems.