SOCIAL SECURITY COMMISSION INSTRUMENTAL IN ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF NAMIBIA (UHCAN) Social Security Commission of Namibia, through the Social Security Act of 1994 (Act No. 34 of 1994), SSC is mandated to establish a National Medical Benefit Fund (“NMBF”) which shall provide payment of medical benefits to employees. According to Kenandei Tjivikua, Executive Officer of the Social Security Commission, “the regulatory provision and promulgation of the Social Protection Floor (“SPF”) gave rise to the idea that the SSC should look at broader issues of health coverage instead of being limited to the NMBF. Therefore, SSC made the proposal to the Ministry of Health and Social Services (“MoHSS”) to provide support to the Ministry’s mandate of achieving Universal Health Care (“UHC) in Namibia. While we continue to pursue the NMBF separately, SSC officially received the mandate through a letter from the MoHSS to address the broader issues of UHC.” Tjivikua went on to explain that Namibia – having been classed as an upper middle-income country - is no longer receiving as much external funding as in the past and there was thus considerable concern about the sustainability of the Namibian HIV/AIDS response, which has been credited with saving over 35,000 Namibian lives; averting over 70,000 HIV infections, and ensuring that over 50,000 children are not orphaned. “Failure to find sustainable financing options for the national response would undo these sizeable gains. Options like universal health coverage would provide considerable promise in sustaining both Namibia’s health system including the HIV/AIDS health response,” he added. The SPF - a United Nations’ initiative led by the International Labour Organization (“ILO”) and World Health Organization (“WHO”) - emphasizes the promotion of access to essential services and social transfers for the poor and vulnerable, inclusive of health services. Universal Health Coverage has been an important long-term policy goal for many middle and low income countries since the early 2000s. Namibia has its unique status in terms of UHC. Only 51% of the formally employed are insured which equates to 16% to 18% of the population. Further only about 15% to 16% of the population is covered by medical aid schemes and less than half the formal sector work force has medical scheme coverage. “Although Namibia has already had significant achievements on Universal Health Coverage in terms of public health service albeit of questionable quality, the greater challenge remains on how to improve the status of Universal Health Coverage,” Tjivikua said. Tjivikua concluded that the objective of UHCAN would be to provide advice and guidance to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, to which it is primarily accountable to, on the development of systems and policies for UHC in Namibia with focus on evidences and alternatives. The inaugural meeting of UHCAN is scheduled to take place on 19 March 2014.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 10:30:00 +0000
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