President Hage Geingob expressed concern over the low Covid-19 vaccination rates recorded in Namibia to date as many continue to defy the national vaccination campaign.
The delay or refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine has hampered the effectiveness of the vaccination campaign in Namibia.
Geingob said in his 2022 New Year’s message that the situation is exacerbated by vaccine hesitancy and the subsequent slow pace of vaccinations, which has adverse effects on the economy.
“As a nation, we cannot continue to lag behind others in terms of vaccination rates. Namibia is not an island. We belong to a global village and for us to survive, we must do business with the rest of the world,” he appealed.
Therefore, Geingob cautioned that if Namibia failed to reach acceptable levels of vaccination and achieve herd immunity, people are effectively cutting themselves off from the world and severely limiting the economy’s ability to generate the prosperity the country so desperately longs for.
He thus urged everyone who has not received their jabs yet to get vaccinated. Moreover, he warned people to refrain from spreading falsehoods about vaccines that will set the nation back.
Geingob declared 2022 “The Year of Reimaging”.
By 2 January 2022, 405 255 people had received one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, representing 26.9% of the target population, including 1 945 children aged 12 to 17.
A total of 105 432 had received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is administered as one dose, while 238 578 adults had received two doses of other vaccines. A total of 5 985 people have received a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccines
It is estimated that the country may need to vaccinate at least 10 000 people per day if it’s to reach its target of 60% of the population.
As the nation moves on from 2021, Geingob said people should look at the lessons learned over the course of the past 12 months.
“The advent of Covid-19 has changed our lives in unexpected ways. As a government, we will ensure that we are more resilient and better prepared to deal with pandemics. Workplace health and safety protocols need to be revisited in order to ensure that we are better prepared to provide medical care to our workers,” he noted.
On the economic front, the pandemic has impacted the economy adversely, with limited mobility leading to supply chain disruptions and low economic growth.
Despite the fact that the global economy has taken a battering, thereby affecting the economy, the President believes positive sentiment remains, and barring any new Covid-19 variants, Namibia expects to see improved economic growth in 2022.
“As a nation, we cannot sit back and wait for commodity prices to dictate the economic outcomes we yearn for. For that reason, we have to think out of the box and pursue innovative ideas and ventures that can generate economic growth,” he noted.
In the Year 2022, given the extent of economic disruption experienced due to Covid-19, economic recovery and growth, employment creation and the provision of basics such as housing and sanitation will continue to be key priorities.
Geingob said although government spending is currently limited, the country still remains endowed with a stable governance architecture, a strong macroeconomic framework and excellent infrastructure, which are all built on democratic institutions and the rule of law.
Additionally, Namibia has many unique and untapped economic opportunities which have the potential to attract meaningful investments and change the face of the economy.
To turn opportunities into tangible outcomes and to catalyse a rapid and sustainable growth trajectory, he advised everyone to refocus their attention to maximize Namibia’s investment potential.
In this regard, Geingob added that there is resolute commitment from the government to provide the requisite enabling environment for the private sector to unlock opportunities. –anakale@nepc.com.na