Namibia to train three new state psychiatrists a year
Namibia faces a severe and chronic shortage of government mental health specialists for a population of about three million people, with health and social services minister Esperance Luvindao saying the government plans to train more psychiatrists to address the shortage. Currently, the country only about six state psychiatrists nationwide. Luvindao says the country has stigmatised views of mental health, which results in mental health services being less prioritised in healthcare budgets and policy planning. She says mental health services have been receiving less funding compared to physical health services, leading to shortages of mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists,