REGIONAL FORUM ON STRENGTHENING HEALTH SYSTEMS
FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)
AND UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE (UHC)
WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA,
8-9 DECEMBER 2016: TECHNICAL MEETING
12-13 DECEMBER 2016: REGIONAL FORUM
SAFARI HOTEL / COURT & CONFERENCE CENTRE
INFORMATION BULLETIN
DEAR PARTICIPANT
WORKING HOURS
WHO Country Office in Namibia welcomes you to the
Regional Forum on Strengthening Health Systems for
the SDGs and UHC from 12-13 December 2016, Safari
Hotel / Court & Conference Centre in Windhoek,
Namibia.
Government working hours are Mondays to Fridays
8:00 am to 5:00 pm, while those of the WHO Country
Office are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to
Thursday and 08:00 am to 2:15 pm on Fridays.
The Forum will be preceded by a technical meeting
from 8-9 December 2016.
Shopping hours are from Mondays to Sundays: 8h00 to
19hrs
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
WHERE IS THE WHO COUNTRY OFFICE IN NAMIBIA
LOCATED?
We are located in the UN House with other UN agencies
and you are welcome to visit us. Our physical address is
as follows:
UN House, 2nd Floor,
38 Stein Street,
Klein Windhoek, Namibia
Our contact numbers are:
+264-61-255 121/ 191 (Tel)
+264-61-2046202 (Fax)
In case of any queries or emergency, you can contact:
Dr Mary Brantuo:
+264816134552
Ms. Irma Naanda:
+264 811293460
Ms Cathrin Fisch:
+264 812845647
Ms Mary Masule:
+264 811278703
Ms Karin Mvula:
+264817519833
A block booking has been secured at the Safari Hotel /
Court & Conference Centre for the duration of the
conference. Accommodation will be paid for by WHO
for all WHO-Sponsored participants. For non- WHO
Sponsored participants, the accommodation rate is
between N$1140.00 to N$1000.00 Namibian Dollars,
bed and breakfast included throughout your stay which
can be paid on arrival.
You will be expected to pay for dinner and settle other
miscellaneous expenses incurred, prior to departure
from the hotel.
If you have any dietary restrictions, kindly send an email
to Irma Naanda at [email protected] and the necessary
arrangements will be made.
EMAILS
Dr Mary Brantuo:
Ms. Cathrin Fisch:
Ms. Irma Naanda:
Ms Karin Mvula:
Ms Mary Masule:
Office Mail:
All participants have been booked to stay at:
Safari Hotels
Corner of Auas & Aviation Roads, Windhoek / PO Box
3900 Windhoek / Namibia
Tel. +264 61 2968000 / Fax +264 61 223017 /
www.safarihotelsnamibia.com
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Please confirm your hotel booking with the WHO
Namibia country office:
Ms. Cathrin Fisch:
Ms. Irma Naanda:
Ms Karin Mvula:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
CONFERENCE ROOM
The meeting will take place at Hotel Safari/ Court &
Conference Centre in Windhoek, the capital city of
Namibia. The secretariat office will be located in the
same place. The conference package covers tea/coffee
and healthy snacks and buffet lunch.
VISA
Please note: All visitors travelling to Namibia for
purposes other than holidays must arrange a visa in
advance through an Embassy/Consular Office/High
Commission in their country or the nearest thereto. If
you are using an UNLP you are still required to apply
for a visa as no visas are issued upon arrival.
Visas can be applied for (through the WHO office) giving
five working days’ notice before arrival at a cost of
N$470.00 Namibian Dollars equivalent to 41.00 USD,
only for those who do not have a Namibian Embassy in
their country. Please note that no VISA is issued before
payment. Approved visas will be scanned to
participants before departure.
Participants needing visa should complete a visa
application form together with copies of passport on
the
following
URL:
https://www.mpihd.mpg.de/hfm/HESS/pages/internal/namibia/travel/9_
Visa_Application.pdf and scan it back to our office to:
Karin Mvula - [email protected]
Irma Naanda - [email protected]
Cathrin Fisch - [email protected]
will be US$38 per night for meeting days (.i.e 30% of
applicable rate due to deductions for accommodation
and two meals already paid for by WHO) and US$ 50 for
all other days spent in Windhoek ( i.e 40% of applicable
rate due to deductions for accommodation and one
meal already paid for by WHO ). All participants are
expected to collect per diem from their respective
countries before departure. NO PER DIEM WILL BE
PAID IN THE COUNTRY OFFICE.
RETURN FLIGHT
On your arrival you can complete a flight confirmation
form and submit your return ticket to the secretariat.
These will facilitate confirming your return in advance.
COMMUNICATION FACILITIES
Internet facilities are available at the hotel where you
can access your mails and you can make telephone calls
from your rooms - at your own expense Free wifi is also
available in the hotel.
SECURITY
As in any other city in the world, please take
precautions when going out of the hotel, especially at
night. While the hotel is fairly safe, it is not advisable to
leave valuables in the room. Keep valuable items in a
safe either at the reception or in your room. Please
refer to attached UNDSS general security guidelines.
THE UN APPOINTED DOCTORS ARE
TRANSPORTATION
There will be an Airport Shuttle to transport participants
from the Airport to the Hotel. Hostesses will be
stationed at the welcome desk at the airport to assist
you on arrival.
Participants are expected to communicate their ETA in
due time to facilitate their pick up from the airport on
arrival.
The hotel shuttle will provide, at no cost, transportation
between the hotel and the City centre.
DSA/Per Diem & Travel Authorization
The per diem rate for Windhoek is $126 as of 1st
November 2016. The rate applicable for this meeting
1. Dr. H.K. Weimann (GMP) Room 212, Maerua Park
Centaurus Road
Tel: (061)222448
Fax: (061)223714
2. Dr. Vernon Morkel (GMP)
Lady Pohamba Private Hospital
Tel: (061) 305506; Fax: (061) 305507
CLIMATE
POPULATION
GENERAL INFORMATION
According to the latest official census (2001), Namibia has a
population of just over 2.2 million. The population density of
2.2 people per square kilometer is one of the lowest in the
world.
Namibia is a vast country with a surface area of 824 268
square kilometers situated in South Western Africa, bordered
by the Atlantic Ocean in the West, Botswana and Zimbabwe
in the East, South Africa in the South and Angola in the North.
Its name is derived from the Namib Desert, a unique feature
renowned for the pristine and haunting quality of its
landscape. Namibia can be divided into four distinct
topographical regions. Of these, the most definitive is the
Namib, which consists of a long, narrow coastal desert
varying in width from 50km to 140km, extending along the
entire coastline and interspersed with dune belts, dry
riverbeds and deeply eroded canyons. The central plateau,
which runs from North to South, has an altitude between
1000m and 2000m, with landscape ranging from rugged
mountain ranges and rocky outcrops of sand-filled valleys and
endless plains. This plateau gradually falls away towards the
East, where a sandy strip of land merges into the Kalahari
Desert, which is characterized by long vegetated dunes
composed of ancient red sand. Dense, bush- covered plains
are found in the North-East of the Etosha Pan and these
include the high rainfall of Kavango and Caprivi regions,
typified by perennial rivers and woodland savannah.
We are currently in the summer season. Namibia has a very
dry climate, from the south through to the central and
eastern areas of the country. Day temperatures can range
from 25C° to 30C°. The rainy season is from
October/November to March/April.
CAPITAL
TIME
Windhoek has a population of over 300,000 inhabitants
(2011). It lies in the heel of the central highlands in an airy
basin surrounded by mountains. It is characterized by a lively
blend of modern high-rise buildings and stylish Germancolonial architecture. The throb of Africa pulsates through the
busy streets. In Windhoek tap water is clean and safe to drink
(potable).
Summer: From the first Sunday in September to the first
Sunday in April – two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time
(GMT +2).
Winter: From the first Sunday in April to the first Sunday in
September – one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. (GMT
+1)
RELIGION
About 90% of the population is Christian, the Evangelical
Lutheran Church being the largest in the country. Other
major religious groups represented are the Roman Catholic
and the Anglican, as well as a number of reformed groupings
and independent African churches.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND BORDER POSTS
Foreign nationals must be in possession of a valid passport to
visit Namibia. Passports must be valid at least six months
after date of entry. A visa is required from all visitors except
nationals of countries with which Namibia has the necessary
visa abolition agreement. Holidaymakers and tourists are
welcome to remain in the country for a period of 90 days,
while a business visit may not exceed 30 days.
HEALTH
Malaria:
Windhoek, the capital where the meeting will be held, is a
malaria free area. A Plasmodium falciparum form of malaria
exists in the northern part of Namibia and in the central and
eastern regions of Namibia. The malaria transmission season
is from November to June. Along the Kavango and Kunene
rivers, malaria transmission occurs throughout the year.
Please consult your doctor for advice on the medicines you
can take for malaria prophylaxis, should you intend to visit
malarious areas in Namibia or you will visit endemic areas in
your way to and/or form Namibia
Medical emergency intervention, Aromed, which is linked to
Europe Assistance, the largest medical assistance network in
the world, also provides a 24-hour emergency medical rescue
operation. MedRescue, another Namibian Company, offers
similar services
TRANSPORT
Namibia has a well-established road network over a total
distance of some 10,000kms, which provides access to the
majority of towns, parks, and nature reserves and tourist
attractions in the country. Two major development projects,
the Trans-Caprivi highway and the Trans-Kalahari Highway,
provide access to Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South
Africa thereby linking Namibia with other Southern African
Development Community (SADC) countries
AIRLINES
Air Namibia, the national carrier, maintains international
flights to Frankfurt and London, as well as regional flights to
Luanda, Lusaka, Harare, Victoria Falls, Livingstone,
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kigali etc., and domestic flight to
local destinations.
MEDICAL FACILITIES
In Windhoek, there are four world standard private-run
hospitals and two state-run hospitals, each with fully
equipped and well maintained intensive-care units. All
specialist fields are available in Windhoek, where 90 %
percent of Emergency cases can be treated. All essential
medications are available in the capital.
The four private hospitals in Windhoek are: Medi Clinic in the
Eros Suburb; Roman Catholic hospital in the centre of town;
and Rhino Park hospital on the northern highway leading out
of the city and Lady Pohamba Private Hospital in Kleine Kuppe
area.
Some foreign airlines providing services to Windhoek are
South Africa Airways, British Airways/Comair, Air Botswana,
Air Zimbabwe, Lufthansa, TAAG, Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar
Airways and LTU International Airline.
Local charter
companies include Namibia Civil Aviation, Westair Wings and
COMAV.
POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Nampost: Namibia has one of the most modern postal
infrastructures. Mail to and from Europe takes from four days
to two weeks.
Telecom Namibia maintains one of the most advanced
telecommunication infrastructures in Africa. It has its own
satellite-earth station and an international telephone
exchange. IDD and fax facilities are freely available. Telecom
Namibia introduced cellular telephones in Namibia in 1995.
Telecard, obtainable at dealers, shops, post offices and
teleshops, can be used in card phones for local calls to all
automatic exchange areas.
Mobile Telecommunications (MTC) and TN Mobile are the
only two suppliers of cellular phone services in Namibia. Sim
cards for both networks can be obtained from Teleshops,
most convenient stores and cellular shops. Recharge
vouchers (Credit) can be obtained in denominations of N$5,
N$10, N$ 20, N$30, N$50, N$100, N$ 150, N$ 180 and N$
295. VAT is applicable.
CURRENCY
The currency in Namibia is the Namibian Dollar, which is fixed
to, and equals the South African Rand. Denominations of
N$ 200, N$ 100, N$ 50, N$ 20, and N$ 10 are issued as notes
and N$5, N$1, 50 cents, 20 cents, 10 cents, 5 cents as coins.
The Namibian Dollar and South African Rand are the only
legal tender in Namibia and can be used freely to purchase
goods and services. The current UN exchange rates (01
October 2016) is around 1US$ to N$13.82. This is subject to
change.
EXCHANGE CONTROL AND BANKING
FACILITIES
Visitors may bring any amount of foreign currency into the
country. Further information and assistance can be obtained
from any commercial bank.
Traveler’s cheques and foreign currency can be exchanged
during normal banking hours at any of the Commercial Banks,
which are well represented throughout the country, and at a
Bureau de Change office in the Levinson Arcade in
Windhoek’s city center, from 8:00am-5:00pm on weekdays
and from 8:00am-1:00pm on Saturdays. There is also a
Bureau de Change service at Hosea Kutako International
Airport. International Visa and Master Card credit cards are
generally accepted, while the speed point facilities assure
quick and sufficient service. Holders should clarify with a
commercial bank whether their cards are accepted in
Namibia.
SWIFT, an international, transaction-processing system
owned by and serving the financial community worldwide,
operates at commercial banks in Namibia.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation in Namibia varies from up market hotels,
pensions (that are Bed and Breakfast), and game lodges to
rest camps. Most of Windhoek’s largest hotels are equipped
with conference halls, which are soundproof and fully airconditioned. Conference facilities are situated in hotels.
Catering can be provided as required.
FOOD
Cuisine in Namibia is interesting and varied. It is characterized
by top-grade locally produced beef and mutton, venison
includes ostrich, zebra and game birds, and seafood’s such as
kabeljou, rock lobsters and oysters. It is well known for its
local beer, brewed according to the traditional purity law.
CLOTHING
The average temperatures in Windhoek in December range
between a low of 17°C and a high of 31°C. When packing,
remember to include warm clothes to accommodate cool
nights.
ELECTRICAL OUTLETS
Points for electric shavers (electric current 250V AC) are
available at major hotels and most state-owned rest camps
and resorts.
ENJOY YOUR STAY!