By Dr Ondavulitha Nuunyango and Dr Lameck Mbangula Amugongo
Over the last few weeks, Namibians have been actively engaging in discussions on digital health/telemedicine, sparked by the appointment of the new Minister of Health. Digital health is an umbrella term encompassing telemedicine, health apps, digital watches, electronic health records, and automation in healthcare.
Digital health presents a unique opportunity to address Namibia’s healthcare challenges. In this article, we explore how digital health can potentially transform Namibia’s healthcare sector by bridging the digital divide and bringing quality healthcare closer to the people.
Technology is a driving force behind digital transformation and efficiency across multiple sectors, including healthcare. The advent of novel technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) has an immense potential to amplify clinicians’ abilities and improve patient outcomes. AI-powered systems can assist with medical diagnoses, automate administrative tasks, and enable the remote monitoring of patients with chronic diseases.
On the other hand, telemedicine refers to the remote provision of healthcare services via telecommunications technology, such as phone calls, video consultations, and mobile applications. Using these mediums, doctors can consult, identify, treat, and monitor patients without requiring their physical presence.
For example, a patient in a remote village can have a video consultation with a specialist in Windhoek, reducing travel costs and ensuring timely medical intervention.
Current pressing issues
Access to healthcare in Namibia is hindered by several challenges, including substandard or inadequate public hospital infrastructure—such as a shortage of beds, medical equipment (CT scans, MRI machines), and essential medications.
Additionally, there is a significant disparity between private and public healthcare services, contributing to healthcare inequality. The country also faces a high disease burden from both communicable and fast-growing non-communicable diseases, as well as a shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas, where access to specialists remains limited.
Digital health solutions can help address these challenges by ensuring that Namibians across the country have access to expert medical professionals, either virtually or through AI-powered virtual assistants.
For instance, hospitals in remote areas like Eenhana, Rundu, or Katima Mulilo can leverage AI-driven imaging analysis to detect cancer or diagnose medical conditions, even in the absence of a specialist radiologist. Experts can then verify these AI-assisted diagnoses, enabling faster, more accurate decision-making and allowing specialists to focus on patient care rather than routine diagnostic tasks.
Another example of digital health innovation is the use of mobile technology to assist in diabetes management. AI-powered applications can automatically log food intake, count carbohydrates, and integrate with continuous glucose monitoring systems to predict blood sugar levels.
By analysing this data, these tools can help prevent dangerous fluctuations in blood glucose levels, reducing the risk of hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) or hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), both of which can cause severe complications if left unchecked. Such solutions are already being tested in other regions.
For example, Melissa, an AI-enabled diabetes management system, supports both healthcare providers and individuals living with diabetes in maintaining glucose control, reducing the risk of severe complications, and ultimately improving clinical outcomes and quality of life.
Some may argue that for Namibia to fully embrace digital health, it must first address fundamental infrastructure challenges that hinder basic service delivery. Many clinics still lack essential resources such as telephones, patient transportation remains unreliable, and some facilities operate without electricity.
While these critical gaps must be addressed to ensure the success of large-scale digitalisation, efforts to improve digital health and fundamental healthcare infrastructure can progress simultaneously. In addition, digital health solutions can play a crucial role in tackling key challenges, such as enhancing service delivery, even as broader infrastructure improvements are made.
What is to Be Done?
AI and digital transformation come at a cost. Developing and maintaining AI models requires substantial financial investment as well as the expertise to design, deploy, and maintain these systems effectively.
Additionally, implementing digital health solutions in Namibia, like any other digital initiative, will face significant challenges, including the lack of electricity in many remote clinics and poor network connectivity. According to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA), the National Proximity Atlas 2024 reports that 93% of the population has access to telecommunication networks, including 2G, 3G, and 4G services.
However, this statistic masks the disparity in connectivity between urban and rural areas, where the digital divide continues to grow.
Additionally, the National Population Census 2023 revealed that 60% of Namibians in rural areas do not own a mobile phone, and only 15.1% have access to smartphones. This poses a significant barrier to digital health adoption, as mobile access is a critical enabler of digital services. Thus, we need to embrace data-driven decision-making for us to realise noble strategic initiatives such as digital health.
While short-messaging service (SMS) and unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) based services offer a viable alternative for delivering mobile health interventions, they are not a comprehensive solution.
To achieve equitable access to digital healthcare, Namibia must adopt a holistic approach—one that addresses infrastructure gaps, enhances digital literacy, and fosters investment in sustainable connectivity solutions.
Key priorities should be strengthening public-private partnerships, expanding electricity coverage, and promoting affordable mobile access. Only through a well-coordinated effort can Namibia bridge the digital divide and unlock the full potential of telemedicine and AI-driven healthcare for all its citizens.
Practicality
A practical approach is to adopt a phased approach to digital health implementation, starting with pilot digital services and systems in selected well-equipped healthcare facilities.
Once successful, it can be gradually rolled out to other healthcare facilities. Prioritising infrastructure improvements alongside phased digital adoption, Namibia can lay the foundation for a modern and sustainable healthcare system.
However, Namibia does not have to reinvent the wheel. Many nations are grappling with similar challenges and have adopted innovative approaches to digitise their healthcare systems, improving efficiency and optimising patient care. Countries such as Estonia, South Korea, and Canada provide valuable lessons in leveraging digital health technologies effectively. Namibia can learn from their experiences and implement contextualised strategies focused on:
● Strengthening infrastructure to support nationwide electronic health records.
● Developing clear and enforceable data governance policies.
● Encouraging innovation in mobile health applications.
● Investing in digital literacy programs for healthcare providers and patients.
The digital transformation of healthcare is not merely an option — it is an inevitability. Namibia has a unique opportunity to leverage digital health technologies, including AI-driven solutions, to enhance accessibility, efficiency, and the overall quality of care.
However, realising this potential requires addressing key challenges such as connectivity barriers, educational disparity, and economic inequality. By overcoming these challenges, Namibia can improve access to mobile devices and internet connectivity, empowering citizens to utilise digital healthcare services.
Lastly, with a strong commitment to innovation and strategic implementation, the country can bridge the healthcare divide and build a more inclusive, equitable healthcare system that benefits all its citizens.
