Also known as: WHO · World Health Organization
United Nations health agency reporting on disease surveillance, health crises, and public health response globally and in Namibia.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
The Namibian
WHO linked Europe's unprecedented early summer heatwave to hundreds of excess deaths
“Europe's unprecedented early summer heatwave may be responsible for hundreds of excess deaths, according to the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO).”
Europe’s heatwave linked to 1 300 deathsThe Namibian
World Health Organisation provided support for multiple vaccination rounds in response to polio outbreak
“Ndjaleka said the health ministry activated the national incident management system and implemented multiple vaccination rounds with support from partners including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), Rotary Namibia, and other development partners.”
Gov flags gaps assome children miss polio vaccinesThe Namibian
World Health Organisation published 2026 report 'Guide to Creating Urban Public Spaces for Children'
“According to the World Health Organisation's 2026 report titled 'Guide to Creating Urban Public Spaces for Children', playing is essential for keeping children physically fit and healthy and teaching them skills they will use throughout their lives, including: healthy relationship building, conflict resolution, and resilience.”
The Right to Play: Access to Safe Public ParksWindhoek Observer
World Health Organisation committed US$4.64 million towards Namibia's outbreak response
“The WHO committed US$4.64 million (about N$76.6 million) towards Namibia's outbreak response, including the deployment of surge personnel and technical support.”
Namibia halts polio vaccinations after reaching 90% targetWindhoek Observer
The World Health Organization committed US$4.64 million towards Namibia's outbreak response, including deployment of surge personnel and technical support
“The WHO committed US$4.64 million (about N$76.6 million) towards Namibia's outbreak response, including the deployment of surge personnel and technical support.”
Namibia halts polio vaccinations after reaching 90% targetNew Era
World Health Organisation collaborated with International Atomic Energy Agency's Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy mission to Namibia
“This was in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).”
Namibia records 1900 cancer deathsThe Namibian
World Health Organisation estimates about 1 in 5 women globally experience mental health challenges during pregnancy or after childbirth
“The World Health Organisation estimates that about 1 in 5 women globally experience mental health challenges during pregnancy or after childbirth.”
Who Sees the Mother!The Namibian
World Health Organisation was dismissed by South African government for characterisation of death toll in xenophobic violence
“In a statement released on 15 June, the South African government stated that the WHO's characterisation was "incorrect".”
SA dismisses WHO boss’s claim of 10 foreign nationals killed in xenophobic violenceWindhoek Observer
WHO warned that nicotine addiction among teenagers is deliberately engineered by tobacco and vape industry
“A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has warned that nicotine addiction among teenagers is not accidental but deliberately engineered by the tobacco and vape industry, as new national data reveals that nearly one in four school-going adolescents in Namibia currently uses vaping products.”
OBSERVER COASTAL | School survey reveals widespread vaping among teensWindhoek Observer
World Health Organization (WHO) is part of imPACT Review Mission in Windhoek to assess Namibia's cancer systems
“Speaking at the opening of the World Health Organization (WHO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) imPACT Review Mission in Windhoek on Monday, Luvindao described cancer as one of Namibia's most pressing public health threats.”
Namibian cancer cases set to surge 84% by 2045SADC governments spend billions on medicines and supplies, yet hospitals and clinics face shortages of essential drugs. A regional pooled procurement system, approved in 2017, would allow member states to combine purchasing power and negotiate better prices, but implementation remains slow nearly a decade later.
9 hours ago · New Era →
SADC governments spend billions on medicines and supplies, yet hospitals and clinics face shortages of essential drugs. A regional pooled procurement system, approved in 2017, would allow member states to combine purchasing power and negotiate better prices, but implementation remains slow nearly a decade later.
9 hours ago · New Era →
The World Health Organisation reports that more than 300,000 people die from drowning annually, with children and young people disproportionately affected. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where people are exposed to water hazards through daily activities including collecting water, fishing, farming and travel.
22 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia is estimated to record 4,205 new cancer diagnoses annually according to the 2024 Global Cancer Observatory estimates, a substantial increase from approximately 3,700 cases previously. The three most diagnosed cancers are breast cancer (701 patients), cervical cancer (453 patients), and prostate cancer (440 patients), with Namibia maintaining one of Africa's highest age-standardised incidence rates at 202.2 per 100,000 population.
16 July 2026 · New Era →
A new WHO Global Status Report on Cancer warns that cancer is an increasing global crisis with the greatest growth expected in low- and middle-income countries. In Namibia, the report's ABC-DO study found significant disparities in breast cancer survival rates across racial groups, with white women at 84%, mixed-race women at 69%, and black women at 45%, linked to delays in diagnosis and treatment access.
16 July 2026 · Informanté →
Health minister Dr Esperance Luvindao announced that Namibia has met international criteria for ending the cholera outbreak after both Grootfontein and Opuwo health districts completed more than 28 days without a confirmed case. The outbreak, declared on 27 November 2025, resulted in 82 laboratory-confirmed cases out of 282 suspected cases and one death in Opuwo district.
15 July 2026 · New Era →
The Windhoek Observer warns that children across Namibia, some as young as 10, are smoking Hubbly Bubbly, vaping, and mixing these substances with alcohol and cannabis, skipping school and financing habits through distribution; the National Council is investigating the issue, but the outlet urges that consultations must lead to meaningful action rather than reports without follow-through.
15 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Health Minister Dr Esperance Luvindao has declared the end of Namibia's cholera outbreak, which claimed one life and infected 82 people over nearly five months, following more than 28 consecutive days without a confirmed case in affected districts. Health experts caution that the country remains at risk unless vigilance in sanitation, surveillance, and hygiene is maintained.
15 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Members of Parliament have launched stakeholder consultations from 13 to 31 July 2026 to examine the health impact of hubbly bubbly (hookah) use on Namibian youth in several regions. Previous oversight visits to Hardap, Khomas, and Erongo regions in August 2024 found widespread use among learners, with concerns about addiction, academic performance, and mixing hookah with alcohol or drugs.
14 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The City of Windhoek destroyed approximately 580,000 kilograms of food deemed unfit for human consumption and obtained a court order to close a non-compliant food business as part of a food safety enforcement drive. The municipality also conducted 140 sampling exercises across formal and informal businesses to monitor compliance with food safety standards.
9 July 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Democratic Republic of Congo has reported confirmed Ebola cases increasing to 1,561 with 506 deaths, involving the Bundibugyo strain for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The majority of cases remain concentrated in Ituri Province, with transmission now confirmed across multiple health zones in a complex humanitarian and security environment.
7 July 2026 · Informanté →
A heatwave sweeping Europe has been linked to more than 1,300 excess deaths since 21 June, according to WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus, with France reporting around 1,000 extra deaths since Wednesday. Record temperatures have been broken across the continent, including in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, with Tedros warning that Europe is heating at twice the global average and calling for heat health action plans.
2 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia's Deputy Health Minister said some children were missed during polio outbreak response vaccination campaigns, despite achieving more than 90 percent coverage nationwide. The ministry is reviewing vaccination coverage, microplanning, team deployment, vaccine logistics, and other aspects of the campaign to ensure comprehensive protection against poliovirus transmission.
1 July 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibian children have limited access to safe outdoor spaces for play despite Windhoek having 32 city park facilities. Residents report that some parks are unsafe, under-maintained, or unfit for different age groups, limiting their use.
30 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Namibia has successfully interrupted transmission of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 following a nationwide vaccination campaign that reached more than 90% of targeted children, with no virus detected since 4 March 2026. The response was supported by more than N$76.5 million in financial aid from the WHO.
30 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Ministry of Health announced that Namibia has successfully interrupted transmission of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 following a nationwide vaccination campaign that reached more than 90% of targeted children and received more than N$76.5 million in WHO support. No circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus has been detected since 4 March 2026.
30 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
The Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council has cleared Fabupharm Pty Ltd's paracetamol syrup for use after independent laboratory tests confirmed it met safety and quality standards. The clearance was issued in May following the product's recall last year, which came after routine inspection shortcomings were identified.
24 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The Namibian Police, Namibia Breweries Limited, and the Namibian Road Safety Forum have launched a N$200,000 nationwide campaign running until January 2027 to test drivers for alcohol at nine traffic checkpoints, targeting more than 300 drivers at every roadblock as part of efforts to address drink-driving's contribution to road accidents.
20 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The health minister revealed that according to 2022 data, Namibia recorded 3,453 new cancer cases and 1,940 deaths, with projections indicating over 6,300 new cases by 2045. Key diagnoses include over 553 women annually with breast cancer, 350 with cervical cancer, and rising rates of prostate cancer and other malignancies.
19 June 2026 · New Era →
An opinion piece argues that baby abandonment reflects societal failures toward vulnerable women rather than maternal callousness, framing it as a social, economic, mental health and human dignity crisis that demands systemic prevention rather than punishment.
18 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The Southern African Development Community reaffirmed its commitment to supporting continental efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, while strengthening preparedness and response measures across the Southern African region. SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi participated in a High-Level Virtual Meeting of African Heads of State and Partners convened by the African Union to mobilise resources and coordinated action, which resulted in pledges of financial and in-kind support from African countries and development partners.
18 June 2026 · Informanté →
The South African government has dismissed a claim by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that 10 foreign nationals were killed in anti-immigration protests, with an investigation revealing a mixture of unrelated organised crime hits and disputed death tolls in Mossel Bay.
16 June 2026 · The Namibian →
A 2024 national survey found that 23% of Namibian students aged 13 to 17 currently use vaping products, with boys reporting nearly 30% e-cigarette use. The WHO Country Representative warned that nicotine addiction among teenagers is deliberately engineered by the tobacco and vape industry through targeted marketing tactics.
11 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
Health and Social Services Minister Esperance Luvindao warned that Namibia could record more than 6 300 new cancer cases annually by 2045, an 84% increase over two decades, if urgent action is not taken to strengthen prevention, early detection and treatment services. The country recorded approximately 2 200 new cases in 2018 and 3 453 cases by 2022, with 1 940 cancer-related deaths.
9 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Health Minister Dr Esperance Luvindao warned that Namibia could face an 84% increase in cancer cases by 2045, with projections showing more than 6,300 new cases annually by that year compared to approximately 2,200 in 2018. Experts cited delayed diagnoses, limited rural screening services and barriers to treatment as key challenges, with breast cancer and cervical cancer among the most prevalent forms.
9 June 2026 · Windhoek Observer →
A deadly Ebola outbreak in Central Africa has claimed at least 61 lives and resulted in 359 cases, mostly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. South Africa's Border Management Authority says it has intensified screening and surveillance measures at ports of entry, including temperature checks and travel history interviews, to prevent the virus from entering the country.
7 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Russian state-owned Rosatom, through subsidiary Headspring Investments, claims groundwater in the Stampriet Basin already contains uranium at levels approximately 300 times higher than WHO drinking water guidelines. The company awaits an independent IAEA report on its proposed in situ leaching uranium mining project in Omaheke Region, which the Namibian government has received and Cabinet is reviewing.
2 June 2026 · Informanté →
A WHO report, prepared with Stanford University experts, warns that tobacco companies are using aggressive marketing tactics—including social media, influencers, and youth-appealing branding—to drive nicotine pouch sales, particularly among adolescents, exploiting regulatory gaps with "smoke-free" claims and candy-like flavours.
1 June 2026 · Informanté →
Two of Namibia's neighbours, Angola and Zambia, are among ten African countries at risk of Ebola exposure as an outbreak spreads in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has recorded about 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths. The May 2026 outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine and mortality rates can reach up to 50 per cent.
30 May 2026 · Informanté →
Namibia's health ministry confirmed there are no confirmed or suspected Ebola cases in the country, despite an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain spreading to major urban centres in the DRC and Uganda. The ministry has implemented heightened surveillance at all points of entry and is providing refresher training to frontline health workers.
23 May 2026 · The Namibian →
The Walvis Bay Corridor Group has called on transporters, logistics operators, and corridor users to strengthen hygiene and sanitation measures following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Transport and trade activities continue normally, but stakeholders are advised to ensure handwashing facilities, sanitisers, and protective equipment are available and to comply with health screening measures.
21 May 2026 · The Namibian →