By Feni Hiveluah
Namibia has significantly reduced the HIV positivity rate among tuberculosis (TB) patients, bringing it down from over 65 percent in 2005 to 32 percent in 2025, health and social services minister Esperance Luvindao announced.
Speaking at the commemoration of World TB Day 2026 in Gobabis, Omaheke Region on Tuesday, Luvindao described the decline as a major milestone in the country’s fight against TB and HIV co-infection.
“We have maintained a positive trend where almost 100 percent of TB patients are tested for HIV, and 99 percent of those who test positive are initiated on Anti-Retroviral Therapy,” Luvindao said.
Despite challenges in access to screening, Namibia has achieved a treatment success rate of 87 percent, just three percent short of the World Health Organization (WHO) target.
Treatment outcomes for drug resistant TB are also improving, with a success rate of 75 percent, surpassing the WHO target. Testing coverage remains high, with nearly all TB patients screened for HIV and the vast majority of those who test positive placed on treatment.
However, Luvindao warned that gaps remain in detecting all TB cases. “In Namibia, we notified 8,370 patients with TB last year, 293 of whom had drug-resistant TB. While these numbers represent lives saved, our concern lies with the people we have not reached. It is estimated that we missed 34 percent of the total TB cases in the country.”
To close this gap, the minister announced the launch of the revised National Guidelines for the Management of TB during the commemoration. She added that the fifth edition is a critical tool to strengthen the country’s response. It includes expanded active case finding to reach the missing 34 percent of cases, a revised diagnostic approach, and updated treatment regimens for both drug susceptible and drug resistant TB.
The guidelines also expand TB preventive therapy and place stronger emphasis on patient-centered care, including addressing socio economic challenges and managing co morbidities such as diabetes and malnutrition.
“To sustain these gains and close the remaining gaps, we must evolve our strategies… Much of our progress has been achieved with the support of the WHO, the U.S. government, the Global Fund, as well as our non-governmental and civil society organizations.”
She said TB will remain a priority within the national health agenda, alongside efforts to strengthen domestic funding.
“ We must remember that behind every statistic is a person, a mother, a farm worker, a young dreamer. Our responsibility is to ensure they receive the support they need to complete treatment.”
