Global Fund grants N$1,2bn to Namibia

WINDHOEK FAITH SANKWASA

The Ministry of Health and Social Services and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria yesterday signed an agreement on a N$1,2 billion grant to combat the three dreaded diseases.
The grant will fund programmes jointly run by the Health Ministry and the Namibia Network of Aids Service Organisations (Nanaso).
The programmes focus on treatment, care and support of those living with HIV/Aids, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection and encouraging voluntary male circumcision.
The grant will further be used to promote HIV prevention, counselling and testing, and condom promotion and distribution.
According to Health Minister Richard Kamwi, there are about 120 000 HIV-positive Namibians receiving antiretroviral treatment, which represents an estimated coverage of 87%.
Kamwi said more than 83% of HIV-exposed infants receive an HIV test within six weeks of birth and the mother-to-child HIV transmission rate at six weeks is less than 3%.
However, Kamwi warned that multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV co-infection remains a challenge.
"Whilst we acknowledge that these are some of the most impressive results on the African continent, it should equally be emphasised that the war against infection is not yet over.
"It is for this reason that we remain grateful to our development partners, the Global Fund," said Kamwi.
The head of the Global Fund's Africa and Middle East Department, Lelio Marmora, said the 13.4% HIV prevalence in the general Namibian population is one of the highest in Africa, but Namibia is showing a decline in new infections from an estimated 10 000 in 2008 to 8 000 in 2011.
Marmora said Namibia has also succeeded in reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, with 5% of infants born with HIV in 2012.
According to Marmora, Namibia's has shown progress with malaria mortality declining from 1 700 deaths in 2001 to 36 deaths in 2011. Malaria outpatient cases have fallen from 521 067 cases in 2001 to 14 406 cases in 2011.
"Namibia is a great example of a Global Fund partnership at work. Government, technical partners, civil society, and bilateral agencies all came together to ensure that high-impact interventions were included and that funding and programmatic gaps were addressed," said Marmora.
The executive director of Nanaso, Sandie Tjaronda, hailed the agreement, saying: "This is an important milestone for civil society in Namibia as it symbolises not only global solidarity but the need for strengthened collaboration to record more success stories in national responses."