HIV/Aids Africa

The American Embassy announced late last week that Isaak Amupolo, Michael
Mulunga and Patrick Sam will represent the Namibian youth at the ?President?s
Forum? with young African leaders, hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama in
Washington next week.Isaak Amupolo is a performing artist and the director of
the Ondangwa Drama Club since 2007. The Ondangwa Drama Club is a community-based
organisation, which imparts skills of African acting, singing, dancing, and art
to the youth in Ondangwa. The club empowers unemployed youth and vulnerable
children, particularly those affected by HIV/AIDS, and the club has received a
PEPFAR small grant from the American Cultural Center for youth outreach
activities in 2010.Isaak is a visionary performing artist and director, who
utilises performance art as a vehicle for conveying socio-political and various
issues. He is an actor, a director, a story-teller, a script-writer, a musician
and sound technician. He has received numerous awards, including the US Peace
Corps Award in Math and Physical Science; the International Youth Award; and
KAYEC?s Youth Development Award.Michael Mulunga has been actively involved with
Young Achievers since 2005, serving as their administrator. The Young
Achievers organisation, established in 2004, is dedicated to improving the
academic achievement of Namibian youth, and providing them with a vision and a
sense of mission in life by developing their mental, social, artistic, and life
skills. Their efforts reflect a student-centered approach, and all activities
are designed to directly and indirectly enhance the youth with knowledge, social
skills and self-esteem.Michael organizes youth events, plans outreach projects
and educational tours, and carries out administrative tasks. At present he is a
full-time university student set to graduate with a degree in Business
Administration in April of 2012.Patrick Sam is the programme manager of the
Physically Active Youth (PAY) programme. The programme aims to keep youth in
school, promote healthy lifestyle choices, and promote social values. PAY?s
mission is to nurture the holistic development of Namibian youth. This
after-school programme provides academic assistance, sports training, life
skills development and community service opportunities. Started as a pilot
project in January 2003, PAY is a non-profit, community-based after-school
programme targeting at-risk teenagers, particularly in grades 8, 9, and 10.It
combines sport with an informal tutoring system and life skills training.
It provides a safe, supervised after-school environment for youth and helps
decrease juvenile crimes, teenage sexual activity and sexual abuse. As
programme manager, Patrick oversees the overall implementation and the
day-to-day operations of the programme, monitors and evaluates the programme to
guarantee that funds are not mismanaged, and is responsible for report writing,
fund raising, marketing the organisation and promoting and popularising the
philosophy of PAY.

Employees of Meatco at the Okahandja abattoir, will observe an in-house World AIDS Day were the main speaker will be a seven-year-old HIV/AIDS orphan.Meatco hosts an HIV/AIDS Day every year since 2002. During the event, employees are encouraged to take part in information sessions, awareness campaigns and to share information on HIV/AIDS prevention.This year it will be held under the theme ‘Walking for Life’. The Mayor of Okahandja, Christofina Paulus, has been invited to address the participants.?The seven-year-old orphan is going to present a motivational speech, share his life experience and break the wall of silence in the presence of other orphans, employees and members of the Okahandja community?, said Leonard Amathila, spokesperson of Meatco.As part of the day?s activities, the management of Meatco has organised ? ? a 5km fun-walk to create awareness among the residents, including Meatco employees in the town. The walk will focus on aspects of healthy living and help to promote fitness and a healthy attitude for those affected and infected?, said Amathila.Meatco will observe the HIV/AIDS day two days after the official World AIDS Day on 1 December.The international theme for this year is ?Stop AIDS. Keep the promise?. The theme, according to the World AIDS Campaign (WAC), is intended to ?establish an international campaign to hold our leaders accountable for their promises and commitments and take the action necessary to deliver on them?. The campaign will run from 2005 to 2010.The campaign advocates the fulfilment of the UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and subsequent policy commitments on AIDS.?The campaign aims to hold the world community accountable to the commitments they make, while at the same time highlighting the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS as an important tool for ensuring a comprehensive response to the epidemic?.?The World AIDS Campaign also aims to ensure individuals are actively engaged in the response.Achieving this ambition requires more support and action than people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS are able to generate on their own. What is needed is the involvement of more people from many different walks of life, whether they are individuals or groups, whether they are part of a trade union or a faith group, or part of the women’s movement, or a young person wanting a better world in the future.

The NANASO Directory of NGOs, CBOs and Faith Based Organisations active in the Field of HIV/AIDS highlights the details of over 160 civil society organisations active in the field of HIV/AIDS ? their background, objectives, where they work and their detailed programmes.Launching the directory, Minister of Health Richard Kamwi said on Thursday, 27 October, at a ceremony at the NBL Customer Care Centre, Katutura, the book had been compiled with the assistance of the Global Fund for AIDS.?I want to urge and challenge anyone to join me in speaking up loud and clear about HIV/AIDS?, the minister said.?I want to urge and challenge anyone to join me in tearing down the walls of silence, stigma and discrimination that surround the epidemic.?I am determined to proceed with the fight against HIV/AIDS?It has to be a national effort and thus it was with delight that I became acquainted with NANASO’s research this year that identified that there are nearly 250 NGOs, CBOs and Faith Based Organisations now committed to tackling HIV/AIDS, with the support of over 15000 volunteers. The NANASO Directory and its recently published M&E Report suggests that over 320,000 people benefited from over 16000 events in a 3-month period at the beginning of 2005.?This represents a huge national effort, the value of which cannot be underestimated. It means that in every part of the country there are individuals giving freely of their time and energy to tackle the epidemic.?The appointment of Michael Mulondo as national co-ordinator was announced at the same event. Mulondo?s expertise in the field of HIV/AIDS covers a period of ten years with specialization in Community Developmental and HIV/AIDS Management. He currently holds a Bachelor and Masters degree of Arts and a Master of Science degree in HIV/AIDS management.

Amalia Schmidt, the 2005 Economist Businesswoman of the Year, who returned last month from the Global Summit of Women, described it as a gathering of high calibre participants bringing together outstanding women in business, professionals and government women leaders from all corners of the globe.The summit ended in Cairo, Egypt on 12 June.Schmidt paid tribute to the Economist for ?sending me out there and opening my eyes to the rest of the world.??This summit proved that there are women out there who know and are well skilled in business and the corporate world,? she said.Schmidt said she ?definitely? learned a lot from the summit that focused on successful businesswomen, who shared ideas on how to do better, how to network and build up contacts. Around 900 women from 88 countries participated in the 16th annual Global Summit for Women, an event that focuses on accelerating women?s economic development through the effective use of technology and maximising the benefit of cross-border business alliances.Schmidt said the other Namibians present at the summit were Ann Gebhard (managing director of SAP), Marilene Mungunda (Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare), Elaine Trepper (deputy mayor, City of Windhoek), and Miriam Shikongo (assistant councillor, City of Windhoek). Schmidt called on Namibian businesswomen to get in touch with the Economist and find out more about the summit, and to participate in the future, as it is open to all, adding ?there is a lot one can learn from an international event like this?.She said there were various speakers, and was in awe at the women?s knowledge and experience. The summit organisers said this year’s event participants came from business, government, professions and nongovernmental organisations from all major continents.?What is so unique about the Summit is this rare combination of government leaders, businesswomen, entrepreneurs and heads of business/professional associations who come together in a solutions-oriented dialogue that is truly international in scope,? said Sungjoo Kim, the chief executive officer of Sungjoo International and MCM.?The Summit outcomes have ranged from the formation of national and regional networks to the launch of numerous successful business initiatives to less tangible results, including the exchange of creative ideas and best practices that have inspired and energized Summit participants – the women who are increasingly driving the global economy,? the organisers said.?My hope was to break some of the stereotypes of Arab women as veiled, silent and passive?by presenting examples of women who have broken through, as well as efforts by those from the lower and middle ranks to get more involved in business,? said summit president Irene Natividad.She added, ?The general focus was on how to accelerate women?s economic advancement in every country. This summit is very practical in its intent, so the results are much individualised.?

African
youngsters urged to give Scenarios a hand
A contest for the African youth by ?Scenarios from
Africa? is to come up with a creative and original idea to help other people
learn more about HIV/AIDS. This year’s contest is Scenarios from Africa’s fourth
edition, and the competition is taking place nationally and
internationally.Participants are expected to come up with an idea or scenario
for a short film of up to five minutes in length. According to a statement, the
best ideas will be adapted by professionals and turned into short films by some
of Africa’s greatest directors. The contest is open to all young people under
the age of 25, and the closing date for entries is 15 April. The idea or
scenario participants come up with can be in whatever form they want it to be
e.g. a short story, a comic strip, a song and any other format.Scenarios from
Africa urges the youth to talk to organisations or individuals in their
respective communities who can provide them with good information on AIDS. Those
interested can participate alone or form a team. There is a list of 13 suggested
topics (not compulsory) on the questionnaire that can be used as a starting
point for a scenario. The ideas or scenarios will be judged by juries made up of
specialists in the areas of AIDS and film.There will be 20 winners or winning
teams in the national contest of each country. The winners will receive a medal,
a personalised certificate, a Scenarios from Africa videocassette and a cash
prize of U$40.The ideas or scenarios of the 20 winners will be part of the
international contest that will be held in October. Thirty winners or winning
teams will be chosen at the international contest, where each winner will
receive a prize of U$120 and there is then chance to have a film made based on
their ideas and to be broadcast on television.The best idea or scenario of the
international contest will be awarded a grand prize of U$1 400.?Don’t forget,
you can write on whatever subject you want, as long as it’s related to AIDS,?
the statement said.

In an interview early this year with the Economist’s Chamwe Kaira and Rodrick
Mukumbira, Prime Minister Nahas Angula said the country has made progress in
economic and social development since attaining independence in 1990. Angula said
at independence, the country was divided on ethnic and racial lines. “The country
was divided that is why our new government under the leadership of the South
West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) party embarked on a policy of new
reconciliation,” Angula said.He added that Apartheid, which was enforced by the
then white South African government, divided the country so much that a “new
page of national reconciliation had to be the first step the government had to
take.Angula said the government put education, health, housing and agriculture
as the priority areas that needed to be developed in order to give citizens a
better life.” The first of the 10 areas we put a lot of emphasis on was
education. We are soon going to have the first Namibians, who have been entirely
educated under our government. These born frees are better equipped and educated
than those of us who lived under colonial oppression, Angula said.On the health
sector, Angula says the country has made a lot of progress in the sector with a
vibrant immunisation programme and a good health system. But this progress in
the health system has been distorted by increasing cases of tuberculosis,
malaria and HIV/AIDS. But we have to continue making strides, he said. Angula
added that Namibia now provides better housing and accommodation to its citizens
than the case was before independence. Angula said there problem facing the
government quest to provide good accommodation is the rural-urban migration,
which led to a strain on the provision of housing in urban areas. “We must
realise that the rural areas were wastelands before independence with no
development, so now everyone is moving to towns because they think they will
have a better standard of living in towns,” says Angula. In spite of this,
Angula says the government has done a lot to uplift the lives of people in rural
areas by building schools, clinics and the provision of potable water.Commenting
on agriculture, Angula said the Green Scheme Project, which was introduced by
the government soon after independence to provide food security, has been
successful. “The problems we have in agriculture are mainly due to weather
patterns some times, we have drought and floods,” he said.Angula said Namibia is
a good investment destination because of its political stability, good roads and
good telecommunication systems. “We have a cellphone penetration of about 80% of
the population,” he said. Angula said the Namibian economy is also stable, with
growth rates of about 3% to 5% per annum.Angula said the government has
undertaken to help local entrepreneurs by setting up the Development Bank of
Namibia, which provides capital to local companies for business ventures. Angula
said because of Namibia’s abundant natural resources, which includes marine
resources and minerals, the country offers a lot of opportunities for value
adding ventures. “We have a coastline of about 1 000 kilometres, which is rich in
fish resources. More value adding companies can be set and goods can be exported
to countries such as Japan. Namibia has a lot of opportunities, we just have to
be more innovative to add value to our resources,” he said.Wind power and solar
energy are some of the many areas that remain to be tapped and which investors
can take advantage of.

The Centre for African Family Studies (CAFS) will hold the course ?Managing HIV/AIDS Programmes at the Workplace? from 2 to 13 May in Nairobi, Kenya. HIV/AIDS workplace programmes maximise investment in human resources development according to experts.Organisations are challenged with having to manage the large number of their staff who are either affected, infected or are at risk of being infected with HIV.

According to a press statement, the innovative course is designed to help managers become agents of change in the fight against HIV/AIDS by developing and implementing effective HIV/AIDS programmes. During the course, managers will learn how to use teamwork and other participatory approaches that involve employees and employers, to curb the spread and reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS at the workplace. By developing effective HIV/AIDS workplace programmes, organisations will not only reduce enormous AIDS-related costs, but will also increase motivation among the workforce. The statement says that interventions designed at the workplace have proved to be successful in mitigating the effects and impact of HIV/AIDS and have led to a smoother running of organisation’s activities while maximising investment in human resources development.CAFS Deputy Director and Head of Technical Department, Aloys Ilinigumugabo, said that participants ?will gain a wide range of management skills for HIV/AIDS workplace interventions. The course will focus on HIV/AIDS epidemiology and risk factors, prevention of HIV transmission, programme design and development, HIV/AIDS organisational policy development provision of services including counselling, testing and self disclosure, peer education programmes, conducting effective referral systems to various external HIV/AIDS related services, orientation to anti-retroviral therapy and prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV.?

This Friday, 16 October, the 30th group of Peace Corps Volunteers assigned to
Namibia takes their oath of service. Deputy Chief of Mission, Matt Harrington,
will administer their oath of service at the Andreas Kukuri Conference Centre in
Okahandja. These 32 volunteers come from all parts of the United States
and reflect America?s rich ethnic diversity. They bring with them
professional experience in education, health and community service.The new
volunteers were selected through a rigorous, year-long nationwide process.
Since arriving in Namibia in August 2009, they have been taking part in an
intensive eight week training program in Okahandja to improve their knowledge of
Namibia, including extended study of local languages, culture and society, and
the proud history of Namibia and the Namibian people. Each of the 32
volunteers has committed themselves to two years of service in Namibia.
They will be assigned to each of the 13 Regions in Namibia and live among the
local Namibian population. The volunteers will be placed in positions through
the ministry of youth, national service, sport and culture, and the ministry of
education. Volunteers are committed to work with their Namibian counterparts and
learners to help strengthen the teaching and learning in the areas of English,
math, science and information communication technology. They will also
incorporate life skills training and HIV/AIDS information in their teaching and
community projects. These efforts represent an important component of the
U.S. President?s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which will total over
US$100 million in Namibia for 2009.With the swearing in of the 30th current
group, there will be a total of 136 Peace Corps volunteers assigned to Namibia,
serving all 13 regions of the country. This year, the United States Peace Corps
celebrated its 19th anniversary of service in Namibia. One of the first
international organizations to work in Namibia after independence, the Peace
Corps first arrived in Namibia in September 1990. Their initial focus was
educational reform and they worked closely with the government to develop a
truly national and inclusive educational program open to all Namibians. In 2004,
the Community Health and HIV/AIDS project was officially launched to work
closely with the government and other agencies to improve the lives of those
infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and other health
issues.

People aged between 25 to 29 years, as well as those between 35 and 39 years seem not to have taken the HIV/AIDS threat seriously and changed their sexual behaviours or patterns in response. According the statistics revealed by the Minister of Health and Social Services, Richard Kamwi, the two age groups recorded a very a worrying trend in the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.The prevalence rate in the age group of 35 to 39 years went up from 21% recorded in 2002 to 25% in 2004. While the prevalence rate in the age group between 25 and 29 years recorded a very low decrease of just 1%, from 28% in 2002 to 27% in 2004.?This is indeed worrying?, said Kamwi.On a positive note, a combined prevalence rate of the entire nation indicates a decrease of 2.2% from 22% recorded in 2002 to 19.8% recorded in 2004.Kamwi says; ?Whilst it is gratifying to note [the recorded reduction in the prevalence rate], we should not be complacent, but rather redouble our efforts?.The ministry of health is already providing the ART treatment drugs to the HIV-diagnosed patients, a provision which Kamwi said ?signalled a glimmer of hope for most of us? and ?saw [HIV] patients discharged from hospitals in good shape and back to work?.Now the efforts of the government will be strengthened by the newly launched Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory testing equipment, at the Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP), which will enable hospitals to monitor HIV-patients through viral load tests to ascertain the amount of virus in their blood circulation.The new testing equipment also gives additional hope to HIV-positive mothers, as it can detect HIV-infected infants, detecting viral RNA and DNA, rather than maternal antibodies, to determine the HIV status of the infant.The Namibia Institute of Pathology launched the PCR laboratory testing equipment on 8 June.

The country?s retirement, long-term insurance and medical industries will face a serious strain on their operations due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. A study done by the Bank of Namibia in collaboration with the World Bank and Metropolitan South Africa on the impact of HIV/AIDS on the non-banking financial sector in Namibia, has recommended that the sector comes up with ways on ensuring their long-term survival.The study concluded that the Namibian regulatory authorities could require the long-term insurance companies to report on the strategies they have in place to address HIV and AIDS.Overpricing and assumptions that are too conservative in light of the big reduction in AIDS mortality will lead to excessive mortality profits and poor value for policyholders, the study said.The study concluded in its assessment that long term insurance companies should develop individual life insurance products that can be offered to all applicants regardless of HIV status. The results of the assessment showed that there are different options available to the long-term insurance companies.The include: Offering an ?impaired life? insurance product to an HIV positive policy applicant provided that they can proof their status and the take-up on HIV disease management which will eventually include ART. These types of policies are already available in South Africa; scrap compulsory HIV testing (underwriting) at inception and provide a significant discount to those who are willing to test; 0ffer low sum insured life cover with limited underwriting and no HIV test and compel all insurance companies to offer insurance to HIV positive applicants with full underwriting (they can test and calculate the corresponding premium assuming take-up on anti retroviral treatment (ART.)The study said government subsidies for savings and long-term insurance products for those households affected by HIV and AIDS will increase affordability, encourage HIV testing and treatment and will probably lead to an increase in marketing efforts in this market. Subsidies might be targeted at young pregnant females or households with children younger than 16 years, it was recommended. The study said a marketing campaign targeting rural areas and affinity groups such as burial societies will lead to an increase in access to insurance.?Insurance policies sold in areas with limited financial literacy and irregular/low income groups need to be simple, have flexible premium payment terms and easily accessible premium payment mechanisms. Examples are policies where premiums can be paid via mobile phone. HIV education is compulsory for brokers and intermediaries. A sales force educated in HIV and AIDS who concentrate on the older markets will probably increase the take-up of savings and insurance products amongst households affected by HIV and AIDS,? the study said.It said insurance companies can offer education policies with limited underwriting and no HIV test.The report said HIV and AIDS will have a severe impact on the Namibian retirement fund industry because of increased liabilities; reduced funding levels.?Ability of the Retirement Fund Industry to absorb these costs will depend on adequacy of reserving by taking accurate AIDS related mortality and morbidity into account ability of the sponsoring employers to increase their contribution rates. Clear saving in HIV and AIDS related death and disability benefit costs since the introduction of antiretroviral treatment to members of the industry has enhanced the financial stability of the industry considerably,? the study said.