Staff Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), in partnership with Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI), is training frontline healthcare workers to strengthen Namibia’s response to recent Mpox and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) outbreaks. The programme aims to improve early detection, case management and national preparedness as the country continues to record confirmed cases of both diseases.
Namibia declared its first Mpox outbreak on 18 October 2025, with two confirmed cases and one probable case reported in Swakopmund by December. Namibia also recorded a fatal CCHF case on 22 November 2025, adding to eight previously detected over the past decade.
Photos: Ministry of Health and Social Services-Namibia
The specialised clinical training, developed by Namibian and German clinicians, is underway at the Avani Hotel in Windhoek and targets medical officers and registered nurses from central and regional hospitals. The initiative is funded jointly by the MoHSS and the German Ministry of Health through the Global Health Protection Programme (GHPP), with technical support from RKI’s STAKOB office.
Dr. Christian Winter, RKI’s public health expert based in Namibia, said strengthening clinical capacity was critical as the country confronts emerging health threats. “It is critical to react swiftly and decisively to the recent outbreaks such as Mpox and CCHF. The training equips health staff with the skills to assess symptoms early and contain potential spread. I am confident that the Namibian public health system will become more resilient through these efforts,” he said.
Mpox Case Management Deputy Lead, Dr. Martha Josef, highlighted the value of the collaborative approach, noting that the Training of Trainers model would empower regional healthcare workers and enhance response systems nationwide.
The MoHSS–RKI partnership, established in 2020 under a formal twinning agreement, focuses on strengthening outbreak preparedness. Through STAKOB, Germany’s network of high-consequence infectious disease experts, RKI continues to support Namibia in bolstering its public health response and disease surveillance capacity.
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