Namibia

Located in southwestern Africa along the Atlantic Ocean, Namibia covers around 824,000 km² and borders Angola, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa. Defined by the Namib Desert, central plateau, and Kalahari, it is one of Africa’s least densely populated countries, characterized by an arid climate, frequent droughts, and a population heavily concentrated in the north. The capital is Windhoek, and administrative governance spans 14 regions.

Heatlhcare System in Namibia
Overseen by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Namibia’s mixed healthcare system operates across national, 14 Regional Health Directorate, and ~36 Health District levels. The tax-funded public sector provides primary and hospital services at minimal or no direct cost to most of the population, whereas a private sector serves urban centers via health insurance and out-of-pocket payments.

Cervical cancer burden and HPV in Namibia
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Namibia and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Each year, an estimated 375 women are diagnosed and over 200 die from the disease. The age-standardized incidence rate is around 37 per 100,000 women, roughly three times the global average. HPV 16 and 18 are the main drivers, accounting for about 62–63% of invasive cervical cancers, similar to other countries in southern Africa. HPV vaccination has been approved and is being rolled out nationally, but until recently the vaccine was only available in the private sector and coverage has been limited by cost, access, and vaccine hesitancy.

What we do in Namibia
Since 2020, ETICCS jointly with the German Cancer Research Center collaborates with the University of Namibia and the Ministry of Health and Social Services to explore population-wide, HPV self-sampling–based screening strategies. In the ongoing project “Feasibility of population-wide cervical cancer screening through HPV self-sampling campaign in Namibia” (2022–ongoing), we are introducing and evaluating HPV self-sampling to reach women in remote and underserved areas. Our team has conducted field visits to rural districts in the Kavango East region (Rundu, Andarra) to assess logistics, community acceptance, and health-system requirements for large-scale self-sampling campaigns. We also supported the National Cancer Care Workshop in Windhoek (7–8 November 2022) and attended a visit to the First Lady at the State House (15 May 2023) to advocate for cervical cancer elimination and the integration of HPV-based screening and vaccination into national policy. These activities aim to generate evidence and political momentum for a scalable, digital, HPV-driven screening program tailored to Namibia’s dispersed population.

See where else we work