Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of October 1, 2026
Who holds the health record in Namibia?
In 2026, Namibia scores 26 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record. It is tied for 177th of 198 countries and territories, and could rank anywhere from 157th to 192nd allowing for scoring error, in the Weak band (25 to 44). Who holds the keys: doctors, hospitals and insurers. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026.
Doctors, hospitals and insurers decide. No right is above the typical country. The closest is your say over research use (43 out of 100, against 46 for the typical country). The furthest behind is protection from sale and ads (18 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country).
Namibia has no data protection law in force and no shared patient record, so patients rely on a charter, ethics rules and the Constitution.
Published · updated · this country's data as of October 1, 2026 · research tool, not legal advice
overall score · Weak band, 25 to 44
26/100
rank among 198 countries and territories; likely 157th to 192nd, allowing for scoring error
In 2026, getting your full record scores 28 out of 100 in Namibia; the typical country scores 40 to 45. The Ministry's Patient Charter promises you can obtain and inspect a copy of your health information, but no law in force gives an enforceable right. The 2022 Access to Information Act is still not in force. Source: Ministry of Health and Social Services, and the other sources below.
Who controls health records in Namibia?
In 2026, doctors, hospitals and insurers hold the keys to your health record in Namibia. Control over who sees it scores 25 out of 100 in Namibia; the typical country scores 30. The Patient Charter says health information will not be disclosed without consent, but no law gives patients sharing choices, an opt-out or an access log. Facilities hold the record and decide how it is used. Source: Ministry of Health and Social Services, and the other sources below.
How does Namibia compare?
In 2026, Namibia scores 26 out of 100, against 39 for the typical country. This brief compares it with Liberia (26 out of 100), Sierra Leone (27 out of 100) and South Sudan (25 out of 100). Source: the ranking of all 198 countries and territories.
Eight rights, compared with Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and the typical country
Scores out of 100, by right
Getting your full record20%
28
28 · 32 · 34
Control over who sees it20%
25
25 · 25 · 24
Privacy and security15%
28
32 · 28 · 22
One record across your care15%
25
22 · 24 · 20
Protection from sale and ads10%
18
25 · 22 · 20
Doctors see it when treating you10%
22
15 · 17 · 18
Your say over research use5%
43
46 · 46 · 43
Rules for AI in your care5%
20
25 · 22 · 20
Black dot: Namibia. Hollow dots: Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan (scores out of 100 on the right, same order). Gray line: the typical country of all 198. Overall: Namibia 26 out of 100. Scores move in steps of about 5 points, so read a rank with its likely range.
What would Namibia need to change to score higher?
Namibia sits in Weak (25 to 44); Mixed starts at 45. Its two weakest rights, compared with the typical country and weighted by how much each counts, are protection from sale and ads (18 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country) and privacy and security (28 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country). Our scoring rules give more points for:
Protection from sale and ads: Clear limits on selling health data or using it for ads, covering apps and data brokers as well as doctors and hospitals.
Privacy and security: A health data regulator that is independent and actually acts: it decides cases about health records, breaches must be reported, and fines are applied.
Which laws give health record rights in Namibia?
Namibian Constitution, Article 13 (1990): Protects privacy of homes, correspondence and communications, with lawful exceptions including for health.
Public and Environmental Health Act 1 of 2015: Disease notification; STI status confidentiality with N$50,000 fine; emergency powers to collect and disclose personal information.
Access to Information Act 8 of 2022: Right to information held by public entities, including state hospitals; not yet in force.
Doctors, waits and private care context, not part of the score
Doctors per 10,000
5.6 2024
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
38.0 2024
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
44.1% 2023
Record reaches private care?
unknown
Real cases
March 19, 2026 · The Namibian State hospital admits patient files sat on floors and old beds
December 17, 2024 · The Namibian · archived copy Health ministry confirms hackers breached one of its medicine data systems
In 2026, Namibia scored 26 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record, tied for 177th of 198 countries and territories (could be 157th to 192nd), in the Weak band. Who holds the keys: doctors, hospitals and insurers. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/namibia/
The 16 sources for Namibia
Each source appears once, under the first right it supports. Titles are shown as our research agents recorded them, usually in the page's own language; text in square brackets is our machine translation. Links were checked on the date shown.
Getting your full record (4 sources)
“Patient Charter: Your Health Our Concern”
Ministry of Health and Social Services (government guidance) · Title in English
No date recorded · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; Control over who sees it
Ministry of Health and Social Services (government guidance) · Title in English
Dated February 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Control over who sees it; One record across your care; Protection from sale and ads; Doctors see it when treating you; Rules for AI in your care
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Something wrong? Tell us · Questions or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI™: the Data Trust Index, which grades the evidence behind each score. SuperTruth makes it and publishes this index. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/namibia/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Our scores and our own words are CC BY 4.0; quoted law and source titles stay with their owners.
