Namibia will train three doctors in psychiatric specialisation every year and raise mental health funding by at least 4% annually from 2027, under a 10-year plan announced by health and social services minister Esperance Luvindao after the passing of the mental health bill of 2025.
The commitments respond to a stark shortage: roughly six state psychiatrists serve the entire country, public and private sectors included, for a population of about three million people, according to The Namibian.
Six national commitments for a decade
Luvindao presented the plan after the National Assembly and the National Council approved the mental health bill of 2025. The minister framed the six national commitments as a starting point for problems decades in the making.
“Months ago, myself and the ministry’s executive team proposed six national commitments to improve mental healthcare over 10 years. The ministry recognises that historic systemic problems cannot all be fixed at once, but we must start somewhere,” Luvindao said.
“Key strategic targets include training three doctors in psychiatric specialisation each year. The ministry envisions establishing at least five new mental health units by 2037,” she said.
“We are committing ourselves to increasing annual mental health funding by at least 4%, and pushing for better decentralisation into regional hospitals and primary care clinics.”
The funding baseline is low. The mental health segment has historically received only 2% of the annual health budget. Under the plan, the ministry will increase the mental health share of its budget by not less than 4% each financial year from 2027 to 2037, measured against the allocation of the preceding year.
Private patients using state facilities will also contribute. The ministry says 10% of all revenue generated from private patients at state health facilities will be directed to mental health within the approved budget.
“These funds will support mental health units, services, and community-based care,” the minister said.
How severe is the shortage of mental health staff?
The workforce figures explain why the ministry is treating recruitment as a structural problem rather than a budgeting detail. Between eight and 28 registered state psychologists serve over three million Namibians, and only around 21 nurses hold specialised psychiatric mental healthcare training.
At some government hospitals’ psychiatric departments, workloads exceed 15 patients per nurse. Chronic shortages persist across public hospitals and regional facilities, worsened by low public sector pay and unfilled organisational posts.
The ministry links the country’s high burden of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorders to poverty, unemployment and social inequality. During the 2024/25 financial year, public health facilities handled about 91 544 new outpatient mental health consultations and 11 489 inpatient admissions.
Stigma inside the system
Luvindao identified stigma as a root cause of the funding gap, both in society and inside the medical profession. Stigmatised views, she said, have kept mental health services low on the priority list in healthcare budgets and policy planning, and have left healthcare providers with inadequate training and awareness about mental health issues.
Mental health services have received less funding than physical health services, producing shortages of psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, mental health nurses, facilities and support programmes.
Universal healthcare and the 6 000-worker target
The commitments feed into Namibia’s broader universal healthcare policy, which aims to widen access to essential services, raise service quality and reduce inequities in care.
“Under the universal healthcare policy we have to ensure we train and fill posts above 70% for all categories of healthcare workers, including specialists and allied health workers. To achieve this, the ministry has a target to recruit over 6 000 additional healthcare workers by 2030,” Luvindao said.
The recruitment drive will be the real test. Namib Times reported that implementation of the specialist training targets will be critical to the plan’s success, and allAfrica reported that the Ministry of Health and Social Services has halted the recruitment of new staff, a tension the ministry will need to resolve if the 2030 target is to be met.
What happens next
The mental health bill of 2025 now awaits implementation, with the first funding increases due in the 2027 financial year and the first new mental health units planned by 2037. Whether three psychiatrists a year, roughly 30 new specialists over the decade, is enough to serve three million people will depend on retention, remuneration reform and the ministry’s ability to fill vacant posts.
Frequently asked questions
How many psychiatrists does Namibia have?
Namibia has roughly six state psychiatrists serving the entire public and private sectors, for a population of about three million people, according to figures cited by health minister Esperance Luvindao.
How much will mental health funding increase?
The ministry has committed to raising the mental health share of its budget by at least 4% each financial year from 2027 to 2037, starting from a baseline of about 2% of the annual health budget.
When will the new mental health units open?
The ministry aims to establish at least five new mental health units by 2037, alongside decentralisation of services into regional hospitals and primary care clinics.