First Lady: Namibians face multiple inequalities
FIRST Lady Sustjie Mbumba says Namibians experience inequalities based on gender, age, education, employment and wealth, and that where there is one inequality, there are often multiple other inequalities.
She said this while making opening remarks at a highlevel roundtable discussion on inequalities, HIV, TB, malaria and pandemics at State House on Friday.
Mbumba noted that among the most prevalent inequalities in Namibia is that adolescent girls are twice as likely to be HIV positive, compared to their male counterparts.
Addressing the gathering, She posed a question on where to begin fixing inequalities. “We need to speak out when we see inequalities or injustices because as long as injustice and inequalities persist, none of us can truly rest. Where do we start to fix inequalities?”
“If we are going to address these pandemics and inequalities, we must knock on each other’s doors and see what is happening. Let us start to address food insecurities, and ensure access to quality healthcare services for those who need them the most. Let us learn from our beneficiaries who are living positively with HIV and those living with disabilities,” she said.
First Lady Mbumba also commended former first lady Monica Geingos for what she has done for the Namibian nation in terms of healthcare, saying: “She has built this beautiful facility in Katutura where everything is under one roof, and it focuses on health.”
She further echoed late president Hage Geingob’s call that ‘no one must be left behind’, saying: “Comrade President, we heard you, we will take our hands together, and we will with our whole hearts try to do the best that you wanted for this nation.”
Mbumba encouraged the panellists to share their insights, and to build recommendations that are not just theoretical, but grounded in the realities of the communities.