Namibia’s President, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has rejected a proposal from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to conduct trials of a hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) in the country. The device is designed to prevent pregnancy for up to eight years.
In a strongly worded statement, President Nandi-Ndaitwah described the initiative as an injustice to the Namibian people and “humanity at large.” She argued that population control measures should not be directed at smaller nations such as Namibia, which has a population of just over three million.
“If any country should consider measures to curb population growth, it ought to be nations like the United States, with over 347 million people,” she said. “Any attempt to hinder or suppress the growth of human potential in Namibia constitutes a grave injustice to our people and their future.”
The president’s remarks have resonated with critics across Africa who have long questioned the role of international organisations and private foundations in public health programmes on the continent. Some have accused external actors of using aid and medical research to exert undue influence or advance hidden agendas.
Activists and commentators are calling for African governments to take a united stance against health and scientific trials that they believe undermine the continent’s autonomy or do not serve the interests of local populations.
The Gates Foundation has yet to respond publicly to Namibia’s decision.
