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- Namibia's President Hage Geingob has taken a week-long leave to treat "cancerous cells" in the US.
- The president's travel expenses and treatment are being sponsored.
- His last public appearance was at the swearing-in of Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on Saturday.
The Namibian presidency has revealed that President Hage Geingob will undergo "specialised medical treatment" in Los Angeles, US, after a group of "leading scientists and medical professionals" offered to help.
He is set to undergo treatment from 25 January to 2 February.
During that period, Vice-President Nangolo Mumba will be acting president.
The offer came after the Namibian Presidency last week revealed that cancerous cells had been detected in Geingob's body.
The 82-year-old will undergo treatment free of charge, with the complementary service set to include transport and accommodation in the US.
"In that vein, the president has accepted the medical offer by leading scientists and medical professionals in Los Angeles, California, to undergo novel therapy for cancerous cells in the United States of America. The travel, medical and accommodation expenses of the president will not be incurred by the government," the Presidency said in a statement.
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"While 95% of the treatment for the cancerous cells will be carried out in Namibia, the Presidency wishes to confirm that the treatment the President will undergo in the United States of America is limited to seven days."
It was revealed that the medical technology to be used for this treatment would be transferred to Namibia for others in need of cancer treatment to access it.
The Presidency also said Geingob's health would not compromise his execution of duties in the last 10 months of his term, ahead of Namibia's general election in November.
Geingob was last seen in public at the swearing-in of the Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa, on Saturday.
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In Namibia, prostate cancer accounts for 44.8 per 100 000 men's cancers.
It also accounts for 21.2 per 100 000 of total cancer incidences and 21.5 per 100 000 cancer deaths among adult men. The country has a five-year prevalence rate of 28 per 100 000.
The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
