WINDHOEK, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Namibia has launched a new national training program to nurture skilled professionals in critical healthcare fields, including dental therapy, audiology, dietetics, medical engineering, optometry, and clinical technology, in an effort to bolster its strained healthcare workforce.

Speaking at the launch of Project 2025 in the national capital of Windhoek on Wednesday, Minister of Health and Social Services Esperance Luvindao said the new initiative aims to train 450 health professionals over three years as part of broader efforts to address skills shortages in the country's healthcare sector.

"This initiative is part of our ongoing strategy to develop a resilient and responsive healthcare system that meets the needs of our nation," Luvindao said.

The southern African country, with a population of about 3 million, continues to face an uneven distribution of health professionals between urban and rural areas, as well as shortages in specialized services.

According to Luvindao, the program builds on the earlier Project 2013, which saw more than 586 graduates trained in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and related fields. Over 400 of those graduates have already joined Namibia's health workforce.

The 2025 intake includes 52 undergraduate students selected from a pool of 120 applicants nationwide. Each recipient is required to sign a bonding agreement with the ministry, committing to serve in the public health sector after completing their studies.

"This scholarship is an investment in our country's health and in the future of every citizen," Luvindao said. "We are counting on these students to return as ethical, skilled, and compassionate health professionals."

Earlier, in Luvindao's budget speech in May, she also emphasized the need to fill over 11,700 approved positions amid a shortage of essential professionals, particularly nurses and doctors.