Adolf Kaure
Health deputy minister, Suzan Ndjaleka, said Namibia should take bold action through palliative care to fight cancer.
She was speaking on behalf of health minister, Dr Esperance Luvindao, at the World Hospice and Palliative Care Day commemorated last Friday in Windhoek.
“In Namibia, the physical, emotional, and systemic toll of cancer is immense. We must combat this disease across the entire continuum of care,” Ndjaleka said.
According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer’s (IARC) estimates, Namibia faced approximately
4 205 new cancer cases and over 2 000 cancer deaths in the 2024 calendar year. Among Namibian women, breast cancer is the most diagnosed, followed closely by cervical cancer. This represents 18.3% of all cancers among women, cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer mortality.
Furthermore, significant health system strains from Prostate, Kaposi Sarcoma, and Colorectal cancers are also observed.
“These figures must propel us into action. Pain relief is not a luxury – it is a fundamental human right. Quality palliative care must be holistic, compassionate, and fiercely person-centred,” she added. WHO defines palliative care as healthcare that aims to prevent and relieve health-related suffering of adults, children and their families facing problems associated with life-threatening illness. It is based on a comprehensive and person-centred approach, addressing physical, psychological, social and spiritual suffering. Providing equitable and timely access to good palliative care is an ethical duty shared by public health stakeholders and health care workers. The soon to be launched National Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategic Plan 2025–2030 and the National Cervical Cancer Guidelines 2025 will ensure government solidifies this comprehensive approach, spanning from preventative human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to compassionate palliative care.
According to the deputy minister, despite prevention methods like HPV vaccinations being introduced to strengthen cervical cancer screening in Namibia, palliative care is essential in ensuring that every patient, regardless of their prognosis, lives with dignity, comfort, and freedom from pain.
“We are building a system such that from the first screening to the final moments of life, no Namibian is left behind,” said the deputy minister.
According to WHO, hospice care is an approach that aims to improve the quality of life for patients and their families facing life-threatening illnesses.
It focuses on the prevention and relief of suffering through early identification and treatment of pain and other problems, addressing physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions.
Hospice care is holistic, patient-centred, and multidimensional, providing a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death, while also assisting caregivers in coping with the patient’s illness and bereavement.
Apart from home-based care provided by private individuals, Namibia currently has only two hospice centres. These are the Palliative Care Namibia Medical Centre situated in Windhoek and a cancer treatment centre in Swakopmund. Apart from cancer, hospice and palliative care is crucial for patients who have been diagnosed with other chronic illnesses and non-communicable diseases such as autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, Alzeihmer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and HIV/AIDS.
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is an annual global observance held on the second Saturday of October to raise awareness about the importance of hospice and palliative care for people living with serious or life-limiting illnesses and to support their families and caregivers.
This year, the day was commemorated on 10 October, providing an opportunity for healthcare organisations, volunteers and communities worldwide to advocate for improved access to quality care and highlight the right to compassionate, holistic support.
The day was commemorated under the theme: “Pain Management: An Essential Part of Palliative Care,” emphasising the need for comprehensive pain relief that addresses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual suffering.
The observance encourages governments, healthcare professionals, and communities to recognise effective pain management as a fundamental human right and to improve the quality of life for patients facing serious illnesses.
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day was first observed in 2005 and is coordinated by the Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA).
– akaure@nepc.com.na
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