Health ministry plans five mental health units

Sostenus Wilherm

The ministry of health and social services plans to establish at least five additional mental health units by 2037, increase annual mental health funding and send more doctors for psychiatric specialisation as Namibia grapples with limited access to specialised mental health care.

The commitments were read by the minister of health and social services Esperance Luvindao on Monday and are contained in the Namibia National Mental Health Commitments of 2026.

They outline ten-year plans to strengthen mental health services following the approval of the Mental Health Bill of 2025 by the National Assembly and National Council.

The ministry acknowledged that passing legislation would mean little to people who cannot access treatment, particularly those in rural communities where specialist services remain limited.

“Yet passing a bill means nothing to the young man in a village without access to mental health care if there remain only two mental health facilities nationwide,” the document reads.

The ministry also highlighted a shortage of psychiatrists, stating that only four Namibian psychiatrists are available nationwide, a situation that limits access to specialised treatment for patients with conditions such as major depression.

The commitments follow proposals by the minister and the ministry’s executive team for six national measures aimed at improving mental health care over the next decade.

“Months ago, the Hon. minister and ministry’s executive team proposed six national commitments to improve mental health care over ten years,” the document states.

The ministry acknowledged that longstanding problems within the health system could not be resolved at once but said the country needed to begin addressing them.

One of the commitments is to increase the budget allocation for mental health by at least 4% annually from the 2027/28 financial year until 2036/37.

Each increase will be measured against the approved allocation for the preceding financial year.

The ministry also plans to direct 10% of revenue generated from private patients using state health facilities towards mental health services within its approved budget.

“10% of all revenue generated from private patients using state health facilities will be attributed and directed to mental health within the ministry’s approved budget. These funds will support mental-health units, services, and community-based care,” the document reads.

Under another commitment, newly built hospitals at district level and above will be required to include a functional mental health unit in their designs before receiving final design approval.

The ministry stressed that mental health infrastructure should provide appropriate services rather than merely accommodate patients in isolation rooms.

The document states that a hospital’s mental health unit “must not be reduced to only a seclusion room”.

The ministry has further committed to recurring anti-stigma and rights-based education targeting healthcare workers, public institutions and communities.

People with lived experience of mental health conditions are expected to be meaningfully included in these initiatives.

On infrastructure, the ministry aims to have at least five additional mental health units operational nationwide by 31 March 2037, with underserved regions receiving priority.

“The ministry strives to ensure that at least five (5) mental-health units are operational nationwide by 31 March 2037, prioritising underserved regions and using new construction, hospital expansion or the conversion of suitable existing space where clinically safe.”

The ministry also intends to increase the number of doctors sent for psychiatric specialisation to three annually, in a bid to strengthen the country’s capacity to provide specialist treatment.

“The ministry commits to increasing the number of doctors sent for psychiatric specialisation to three (3) annually. This investment will progressively strengthen the workforce’s capacity to meet nationwide mental health needs and support the implementation of the anticipated Mental Health Act of 2026,” the document reads.

The document says the investment will progressively improve the workforce’s ability to meet mental health needs nationwide and support the implementation of the anticipated Mental Health Act of 2026.

To monitor implementation, the executive director must designate an official and implementation team within 30 days of the commitments being signed.

A costed implementation plan must be submitted within 90 days, while progress reports are expected annually.