Windhoek – Namibia’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Trade, Jenelly Matundu, met with the SADC Ambassador for Malaria Elimination 8 (E8) Countries, Dr Richard Nchabi Kamwi, on Thursday to discuss the possible reopening of the regional body’s secretariat in Windhoek, which shut down due to a lack of funding.
The meeting, held on 11 June 2026, was also attended by the World Health Organization’s Country Representative to Namibia, Dr Richard Banda.
Matundu was briefed on the objectives and functions of the Malaria Elimination 8, a SADC initiative that coordinates malaria diagnostic pooling, operates frontline health posts for mobile and migrant populations, and manages regional surge capacity for outbreak preparedness, among other responsibilities. 
A central focus of the discussions was the need to reopen the E8 Secretariat, which is headquartered in Windhoek but has been closed due to insufficient financial resources.
