Why Namibia needs a national poison control centre

Poisoning can strike without warning. Around the world, it remains a serious public health problem, yet many cases can be prevented or better managed when expert help is available quickly.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates poisoning mortality using deaths from unintentional poisoning per 100 000 people, an indicator of hazardous chemical exposure and the effectiveness of health system responses.

For Namibia, the warning is real. In 2021, the estimated mortality from unintentional poisoning was 1.38 deaths per 100 000 people, up from 1.34 in 2020. The rate has fluctuated over the years, reaching a high of 1.43 in 2015 and a low of 1.10 in 2008.

The rate measures deaths from unintentional poisoning, not all poisoning events, hospital admissions or suspected poisonings.

Therefore, the unintentional poisoning statistic does represent the total national poisoning burden.