HIV/Aids Africa

A projected 200,000 or roughly 10% of the population of Namibia will need antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the near future.With an HIV prevalence of 10.6% amongst young women, an adult HIV prevalence of 15% and 2 700 newly infected children in 2008/09, the cost of a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS response is expensive (about N$2 billion per year and about N$850 per capita).This is the economic picture painted by Jeanette de Putter, operations manager of the Namibia Global Fund Programme Management Unit in the Ministry Health and Social Services. ?Donor support is clearly needed in the years to come. So far Namibia has been able to rollout the HIV/AIDS response with relatively abundant funding from PEPFAR and Global Fund. As slight decreases are expected due to the global economic downturn, it is now time to consolidate the response and also look into more efficient and effective ways of delivering programmes,? said de Putter.At the recent National Girl Child Conference with the theme ?Celebrating and cementing the right of the Girl Child: Fight GBV? in Swakopmund organised by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, de Putter emphasised the importance of these programmes by citing the decline in HIV prevalence among young (15 ? 24 years old) women from 15.2% in 2004 to 10.6% in 2008.?A concerted effort is still needed to prevent new infections especially in the 15-24 age group. Some 77 % of the new infections among young people each year are among young women, showing a clear need to focus prevention efforts on young girls, or efforts that will indirectly benefit young women. The new national HIV/AIDS strategic plan, which is currently being developed, will focus on prevention but we need the goodwill of all Namibian people, the strong commitment of all sectors, and especially the involvement of men willing to act as role models,? she said.According to de Putter, statistics show that despite increased knowledge about HIV in the Namibian population, people do not seem to be changing their behaviours. ?The drivers of the HIV epidemic that have been identified are: multiple and concurrent partnerships (MCP); inconsistent condom use/unprotected sex; alcohol abuse; transactional sex; and lack of knowledge about HIV status (HIV testing),? she said.The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, with its Take Control Partnership, she added, will be launching a new national campaign addressing MCP. The concept of avoiding concurrent partnerships (next partner within 6-12 weeks) is not clearly understood and this information needs to trickle down to communities. According to de Putter, treatment costs to the Ministry of Health currently stand at N$2 200 per ART patient per year for drugs and routine laboratory only. If human resources and overhead costs are included, this rises to N$3 800.

The Tripartite
Task Force on the National Pension Fund for Namibia hopes to address the areas
of concern raised by the social security and pension industries by the end of
September before coming up with new regulations that are to be included in the
Social Security Act 34 of 1994.Once the act is amended, the new regulations will
pave the way for the creation of the National Pension Fund.The areas of concern
are the possible economic impact that the fund will have on existing pensions
schemes, also how the fund would pay out beneficiaries from the existing pension
funds once they are incorporated into the new fund and the contributing rates
from old funds to the proposed national fund. The other area of concern is the
impact of HIV/Aids on the social security industry in Namibia.Mr David
Keendjele, chairman of the task force, which was appointed by the Minister of
Labour and Social Services in May this year, sketched the advantages of the
national pension fund in an interview with the Economist.AdvantagesAccording to
Keendjele, the national pension fund will incorporate the low-income groups,
most of whom cannot afford any of the existing pension funds. He said 60% of the
Namibian workforce is not on any pension funds. Further, he said the fund would
reduce the money that the government spends on social assistance, as people will
not be paid pensions before they reach the retirement age of 60. Keendjele said
a national pension fund will also help entrench a culture of saving with the
majority of Namibians.The committee is looking at ways of dealing with transfer
of existing pensions fund should they be compelled to join the national pension
fund. This will include taking into account accrued liabilities and assets.
Keendjele said the national pension fund is not meant to kill the existing
industry.ExemptionsSome of the existing pension funds have applied to be
exempted from the national pension fund on grounds that they have both the
capacity and the liquidity to cater for their members. Keendjele said the
national pension fund will not be implemented with a blanket approach as most
highly paid workers are already members of pension funds, which are performing
well.On the impact of HIV/AIDS on the social security industry, he said the
industry is demanding that the pandemic be taken into account when it comes to
contribution rates, modes of payment and life expectancy. Currently, experts
from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) are working with the task force
on ways of coming up with a model best situated for Namibia taking into account
the impact of HIV/AIDS on social security schemes.

The Namibia Professional Hunting Association
(NAPHA) held its annual workshop this week in Windhoek and discussed issues like
its code of conduct and predator hunting.Joern Wiedow, NAPHA’s newly appointed
CEO, was introduced to the members and a list of issues raised by the NAPHA
membership earlier this year was presented with actions that were taken to
resolve these concerns.NAPHA said in a statement that the workshop also looked
at a proposed document on recommended changes to the legislation regarding
trophy hunting in Namibia. The document will be presented to the Ministry of
Environment and Tourism as a proposal for amendments to the coming Namibian
Wildlife Act.According to the statement, the NAPHA code of conduct was also
discussed to prepare for changes that will be adopted at the NAPHA annual
general meeting in February next year.Draft documents regarding NAPHA’s opinion
on predator hunting in Namibia were also presented and widely accepted by the
workshop, the statement said.Julianne Breitenfeld from Alexander Forbes Health
Management Solutions made a presentation on the issue of employer responsibility
for HIV/AIDS-positive employees.Jacqueline Asheeke, CEO of FENATA, described the
progress that has been made on the Transformation Charter for the trophy hunting
and tourism industry as a whole.

How do you condense seven years of learning into a package that is usable for the future? And how do you ensure that people know that such a package exists? As the Yelula/U-khâi project draws to a close, it has become important to ensure that the learnings and products from the project are taken up and used by others in the field.Yelula/U-khâi works with communities, individuals and marginalised groups in rural Namibia to strengthen their resources and support their vision in responding to the HIV pandemic and supporting orphans and vulnerable children. Yelula/U-Khâi means ?lift up? in Oshiwambo and Khoekhoegowab. The project works in the four north central regions of Namibia, and the Karas region in the south.On May 10 and 11, Yelula/U-khâi will host two events to share its learnings and successes in working with community self-help groups of people living with and affected by HIV. An exhibition drawn from the project?s work will celebrate the achievements of the community groups the project has worked with. The showcasing falls into 3 main components: an evening event that celebrates the project and its learnings; a more in-depth day of exploration of learnings and their implications; and an exhibition highlighting project activities and learnings. A celebration of Yelula/U-khâi successes and achievementsEvening: 10 May 2010, 17h30 for 18h00Venue: FNCC café and terrace ?We strengthen one another?: exhibitionDates: 10 May – 4 June Venue: FNCC Wild Art café (10:00-22:00)A more in-depth exploration of Yelula/U-khâi methods and implications of learningsHalf day: 08:30-13:00, 11 May 2010Venue: FNCC media roomFramed by a plenary overview and ?roadmap?, and a concluding panel discussion, five ?café tables? give participants the opportunity to dig deeper into various aspects of the Yelula/U-khâi project.Components of World Café will cover:1)Human Rights and HIV 2)Community groups and community action 3)Building capacity to make a difference4)Filling the gaps: RACOCs and CACOCs, Forums, Government interventions5)Positive impact

Youth Expo promotes young entrepreneurs
The Youth Expo, since its inception in 1997,
offers an annual platform for young entrepreneurs to showcase their talents,
exchange ideas and interact with young people from different backgrounds. It
will be open from 19 to 21 May in the Zoo Park in Windhoek.?The expo aims at
promoting young up-coming entrepreneurs and thereby encouraging young people to
get involved in the creation of employment for themselves and others. It
encourages young people to take charge of their lives and to get into the main
line of economic development and [its] decision-making processes,? the
organisers say in a statement.The event is organised by the Junior Chamber
International (JCI) Namibia in association with the Namibia Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (NCCI) and the National Youth Council with the support of the
government – specifically the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and
Culture.Registration forms are available at the JCI Namibia Office in the NCCI
Building, the National Youth Council, Regional Council offices as well as
Regional Youth Council offices at the ministry of youth in all 13 Regions. The
deadline for registration is May 6.Different categories of entrepreneurs are
accommodated; from manufacturing to services and entertainment. Actually, any
activity that is viewed as income generating is included in the Youth
Expo.According to a press statement, the preparatory committee is working hard
to ensure that this years? expo is the best ever by introducing many new
categories, such as an HIV/AIDS composition competition, to make the event more
interesting and exciting for both exhibitors and the public.Furthermore,
training has become an important part of the Youth Expo for the past two years
with the two-and-a-half-day seminar called ?Prime? integrated into the
activities. ?Prime? is a practical guide to implementing sound personnel and
leadership development programmes and to create positive change. PRIME increases
confidence when presenting complex information in an understandable and
interesting way, increases people?s ability to motivate others, increases
communication and organizational skills, and helps people to look at new
situations with an open and positive mind.?FEAR?, a four-hour training session,
aims to ?Focus You on Your Fear(s)?, to let people feel the accompanying
?Emotion? which belongs to this ?Fear? and to ask people to take ?Action? and
create the ?Result? they want to achieve.JCI member exhibitors from neighbouring
countries that are expected to attend the Youth Expo are from Botswana, South
Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius and Malawi.

“Without pride, let me put it straight that the 2010 National Youth Week
festival was a great success. Judging from the evaluation report from the
participants and committees, there was a great improvement compared to the year
before,” said Muesee Kazapua, head of desk networking exchange and international
relations at the National Youth Council.Speaking at a recently held media
conference that was meant to provide perspective of the just ended week long
annual National Youth festival which was held in Keetmanshoop, Kazapua said that
it does not mean that they did not face any challenges.?All challenges that were
faced were immediately addressed. Overall, the National Youth Council and its
member organisations are happy with the outcome of the festival and would
therefore use this opportunity to thank all our partners and donors including
the people of Karas, especially our host, the community of Keetmanshoop,? he
said.According to Kazapua, the importance of creating a national culture of
tolerance among the youth for other cultures and traditions is also harnessed
through the exchange created by this national event which this years theme
?raising consciousness- fulfilling aspirations?, is testimony to.?In realistion
of this theme, our programmes and events were focused on employment, youth
urbanisation, HIV/AIDS, gender, social development, such as the cultural pageant
and sports, discussion on formal education and business entrepreneurship but to
mention a few,? he said.He said, a total of 1,346 delegates were registered and
were provided with accommodation including 47 international delegates from SADC
countries and most of the participants were registered on the first day of
arrival except individuals that arrived late.?All the accommodation in
Keetmanshoop was booked, which provided a significant stimulus to the economy of
Keetmans-hoop and the Karas region in general. Our contribution had a positive
impact on the much-needed economic desire of the southern town. All participants
were accommodated,? he added.He also said, although transport was a minor issue
especially with the Khomas region, while the other regions were provided
transport on time and some delayed due to the buses arriving late from previous
tasks.?In order to save the situation, private vehicles were hired to transport
the people to Keetmanshoop,? he added.The National Youth Council Act of 2009,
Article 45 makes provision for an Annual National Youth Week, dedicated to the
celebration of the vibrancy, hope and potential of the youth in Namibia.

“Our dreams, our hopes” is a new book by a grade 12 learner and 27 other learners from the Kunene Region. They are all learners at Braunfels Agriculture High School where the organisation Ombetja Yehinga has an AIDS Awareness Club. The book was initiated by Alpha Sililo who fear that the experience they have picked up over the past three years in the AIDS Awareness Club would be lost once they left the school.In his own words the book was to tell ?how working for the AIDS Awareness Club and with Ombetja Yehinga changed my life and the life of my club members?.The book was shaped through writing sessions and completed by a series of over 40 drawings. The drawings were produced by 15 learners during an illustration workshop conducted by young visual artists Jeff Hu, Fillipus Sheehama and Kirsten Wechslberger and co-ordinated by well-known artist Melanie Harteveld-Becker.Braunfels Agriculture High School has a long history with the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation.It is 30 kilometres from Khorixas and has about 300 learners who are all boys.Because they live in hostel, learners have nowhere to go. The school has no recreational facilities. Perhaps it is because of that, that the activities of Ombetja Yehinga have always been welcomed by the school.The school has contributed to the published book and the subsequent play ‘The Hyena’s Disease’, to the making of a video of the play ‘Just be careful’ and to almost all issues of the Ombetja Yehinga’s newsletter.?Their achievements in less than three years have, therefore, been considerable?, said Dr Philippe Talavera, head of the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation.The book ‘Our dreams, our hopes’ will be launched by the Minister for Basic Education, Sport and Culture, Hon John Mutorwa on 14 February. The book has been published by MacMillan Publishers.

The Kalahari Sands and Casino has donated funds to the Catholic Aids Action (CAA) and the Christina Swart-Oppermann Aids Foundation. The two organisations received a cheque of N$20000 from the Kalahari Sands’ general manager, John Airey (left), and marketing manager Tania Reid (centre) on Friday, 4 March. Christina Swart-Oppermann is on the right. CAA chief operations officer Godwin Chisenga thanked the management team of Kalahari Sands for thinking of Catholic Aids Action. Christina Swart-Oppermann thanked the Kalahari Sands on behalf of all trustees, saying that ? ? in spite of all the difficulties, they still donated.? The donations were raised at last year’s Aids Concert organised by the Kalahari Sands and Radio Wave. Airey said that over 4000 people had attended the Aids Concert. He added that the focus for this year was to tackle abused women and children. But for 2005, Airey says they would use international artists who tended to perform concerts for free, unlike some of the artist they used for the Aids Concert. This year’s show will be late in November.

(IRIN) – Development gains made during the 1980s and 1990s in Southern Africa are being rapidly reversed by the triple threat of HIV/AIDS, erratic weather and weakened government capacity, requiring a new approach to humanitarian aid, says a new UN report.The inter-agency ?Regional Humanitarian Strategic Framework for Southern Africa’, born out of consultations between UN agencies, NGOs and donors, noted this week that “every effort is needed to help stop and reverse the current downward trend in human development indicators”.HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty were the main drivers of the humanitarian crisis and had mutually influenced and aggravated one another.”The experience of the past two years has demonstrated just how vulnerable the people of Southern Africa have become. While poor weather was the trigger for the regional crisis in 2002, the depth of underlying vulnerability made the impact of these shocks far worse than was the case in [the drought of] 1992/3, for example,” the report observed.The report said since then weather conditions had continued to be unfavourable in some parts of the region, but not to the extent that it explained the current 6.7 million vulnerable and food-insecure people.

Indigenous knowledge
and biodiversity are the most important – and often the only – assets in many
poor, rural societies, the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) said in
a recent statement. But HIV/AIDS threatens even this fragile legacy, blocking
the transmission of traditional agricultural knowledge and practices to children
and eroding the basis of food security.”Innovation often dies with the farmers,”
explained Marcela Villarreal, the FAO’s focal point for HIV/AIDS. “They have
developed ways to adapt their crops to the environment and when they die, so
does their knowledge. Biodiversity is also threatened because in times of acute
labour shortages, people plant fewer varieties of crops to save time and
money.”Africa is especially hard hit because of the sheer number of people who
are infected with HIV. “In Kenya, for example, only 7% of orphan-headed
households reported that they had enough agricultural knowledge to carry on
farming,” Villarreal said. Of the 13.2 million AIDS orphans worldwide, more than
12 million are in Africa, according to UNAIDS.”The fundamental roles of
biodiversity and indigenous knowledge in sustaining the agriculture of Africa’s
poorest people have often been neglected in the agricultural and rural
development sector,” said Josep-Antoni Garí, a consultant with the FAO’s
Sustainable Development Department. “They represent local resources with
enormous potential in the fight against food insecurity and the devastating
impacts of HIV/AIDS.” He cited the resilience of many traditional, yet
neglected, crops that require less attention than cash crops and are therefore
valuable additions to households where able-bodied people are already under
extreme stress. These plants also require fewer material inputs, such as
fertiliser, as they are adapted to the local environment. This allows people to
save what money they have for medicines or other essential
supplies.