ABSTRACT
With a population of approximately 2.4 million, Namibia is an expansive country located in south-western Africa bordering the Atlantic coast. Namibia's HIV epidemic is generalized: transmission primarily occurs through heterosexual and mother-to-child transmission. In 2003, the Namibia Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) established a quality assurance (QA) unit as a subunit under the Undersecretary for Health and Social Welfare Policy. The principles of quality improvement (QI) and quality management (QM) in Namibia were not formally introduced until 2007, within the context of a disease-specific program focusing on HIV, when the MoHSS, with support from US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), piloted a HIV-specific QM program, HIVQUAL-Namibia. HIVQUAL-Namibia was initiated in 16 clinics, with performance measurement (PM) data collection and QI project implementation expanding to 38 HIV care and treatment facilities in all 34 districts. Human resources for health are essential, and additional resources will be needed to support this critical component of the national QM program.
