NAMIBIA
COUNTRY PROFILE
The work of FHI in Namibia
W
ith a population of just 1.8 million (Census 2001)
and over 20% of sexually active adults infected with
HIV (2002), the Republic of Namibia ranks among the
worst-affected countries world-wide in terms of HIV
prevalence.
Under its cooperative agreement with the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID), FHI
Namibia is focusing primarily on mitigating the impact of
HIV/AIDS in Namibia through a range of programs targeting
the population at large and specific sectors of the population
including the workforce, youth, pregnant women and children
orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS (OVC). It has
also targeted municipalities (local governments) as a key
sector in the national response to HIV/AIDS.
OVC at the Walvis Bay
Multipurpose Centre
managed by FHI.
Photo by Maggie Barnard
of The Namibian, 2003
At national level FHI Namibia supports the Ministry of
Health and Social Services and the Ministry of Women Affairs
and Child Welfare, and works primarily with these
ministries, local AIDS service organizations, faith-based
hospitals and national and local government authorities to do
the following:
Build their capacity to implement HIV/AIDS interventions in the workplace as well as community and youth
awareness-raising activities to encourage responsible
sexual behavior.
Mobilize communities for prevention of mother-to-child
transmission through support to faith-based hospitals
and their community-based affiliates to provide access
to prevention programs, voluntary counseling and
testing, treatment, and maternal and child health services.
Create an enabling environment for community-based
care, educational and psychosocial support programs
for OVC, as well as support advocacy for and provide
access to legal support for people living
with HIV/AIDS and OVC.
NAMIBIA
“FHI’s philosophy is to work directly with government line ministries, NGOs and communities to build their capacity to achieve
their identified needs ... . Comprehensive and cost-effective approaches, coupled with coordinated partnerships and community
mobilization, are needed to mitigate the impacts of HIV/AIDS.” – FHI Namibia Country Director Ms Rose De Buysscher
FHI Namibia Programs
Oshana Ohangwena
Omusati
T
he FHI Namibia country program initially targeted three
of the country’s thirteen regions (Khomas, Erongo and
Oshana), HIV prevalence rates in these regions being among
the highest in the country. In 2003, with the implementation
of the PMTCT+ program (see below), the country program
was expanded to cover an additional six regions, all but one
of these (Hardap) also having among the highest prevalence
rates in the country. Hardap is being targeted to prevent an
escalation in HIV prevalence in some of the more densely
populated parts of southern Namibia. These are the nine
regions targeted under the expanded program:
Hardap
Khomas
Erongo
Otjozondjupa
Oshana
Omusati
Oshikoto
Ohangwena
Kavango
Kavango
Oshikoto
Kunene
Ot
jo
zo
n
u
dj
pa
Omaheke
Erongo
Khomas
Hardap
Cap
rivi
HIV
Prevalence
in Namibia
(2002)
5-9%
10-14%
15-19%
20-24%
25-29%
Karas
30-34%
>40%
The four main FHI Namibia areas of intervention are as
follows.
WORKPLACE PROGRAM
Targeting the workplace through capacity-building of local NGOs
Primary aim
The workplace program targets the Namibian workforce at
large by means of building the capacity of local NGOs and
institutions to provide a comprehensive HIV/AIDS workplace package to the private, public, parastatal and local
government sectors.
Implementing partners
AIDS Care Trust (Windhoek)
Legal Assistance Centre AIDS Law Unit (Windhoek)
Chamber of Mines (Windhoek)
Walvis Bay Multipurpose Centre
Sam Nujoma Multipurpose Centre (Ongwediva)
Hansa Breweries HIV/AIDS
Peer Education graduates, 2003
TREATMENT, CARE AND SUPPORT PROGRAM
Targeting pregnant women and people living with HIV and AIDS
Primary aim
Under a new US Government initiative FHI Namibia has launched a treatment, care and support program
for people with HIV and AIDS which enables five faith-based hospitals and their community-based affiliates
to offer prevention programs, voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), maternal and child health services to
prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, antiretroviral treatment (ART) and home-based care.
Implementing partners
Catholic Health Services
Lutheran Medical Services
Catholic AIDS Action (CAA)
Lifeline/Childline Namibia
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN)
Evangelical Lutheran Church AIDS Programme (ELCAP)
“I am particularly thrilled to see how far the Multipurpose Centre has gone to achieve its goals and to see how well it has served
the community of Walvis Bay.” – Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Richard Kamwi
“The Multipurpose Centre is the heartbeat of the Municipality’s external HIV/AIDS response program and the most important
HIV/AIDS-related asset we have.” – Walvis Bay Municipality Chief of Health Services Mr Flip Els
NAMIBIA
YOUTH PROGRAM
Reaching in- and out-of-school youth
Primary aim
The FHI Namibia youth program targets in- and out-ofschool youth with the primary aim of building the capacity
of young Namibians to avoid unsafe sexual practices and
to cope with the impacts of HIV/AIDS.
Implementing partners
The Namibian YouthPaper
Lifeline/Childline Namibia
Walvis Bay Multipurpose Centre
Sam Nujoma Multipurpose Centre
Ombetja Yehinga (Red Ribbon) Program
Change of Lifestyle Homes Project (COLS)
President Sam Nujoma (centre left) with staff and partners of
the Sam Nujoma Multipurpose Centre at the center’s opening
in 2003. The center is dedicated to President Nujoma for his
commitment to the development of the Namibian people.
Initiatives under the program
The Namibian YouthPaper – a weekly supplement
of The Namibian (English daily newspaper); FHI
supports the “Reproductive Health” page.
“Feeling Yes, Feeling No” – a participatory program
for school children being implemented by Lifeline/
Childline Namibia in schools countrywide, focusing
on improving children’s verbal communication skills
in interacting with peers and adults, and on teaching
children about sexuality, sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS and
violence.
Walvis Bay Multipurpose Centre – a community
development center managed by FHI providing information, education and training on a range of topics in
a youth-friendly atmosphere, facilities catering for a
range of activities for young people, and access to social
services and HIV/AIDS-related services.
Sam Nujoma Multipurpose Centre – a community
development project in the town of Ongwediva in the
Oshana Region aimed at improving the quality of life
of people in the area by providing a variety of programs
and community services including youth programs,
OVC support programs, and HIV/AIDS prevention,
care and support programs.
Ombetja Yehinga (Red Ribbon) Program – an HIV/
AIDS awareness project operating in the Kunene and
Erongo Regions in north-western Namibia aimed at
reaching school-going youth through a participatory
process with teachers and learners in the education
system and with external HIV/AIDS Clubs.
Namibia YouthNet Program – a program initiated by
FHI Namibia and implemented through COLS, focusing
on the role of churches and faith-based organizations
(FBOs) in working with youth around HIV/AIDS.
A YouthNet meeting
FACTS AND FIGURES: HIV/AIDS PREVALENCE IN NAMIBIA
Namibia’s birth rate of 35 births and death rate of 22.28 deaths per 1 000 population contribute to an overall population growth
rate of 1.6%. Life expectancy at birth is a very low 41 years for women and 44 for men.
The total fertility rate is 4.9 children per woman, and there is a high infant mortality rate of 72 deaths per 1 000 live births.
The 2002 national HIV sentinel surveillance at antenatal clinics indicated a national HIV prevalence of 22% in pregnant women.
At most survey sites where previous data was available it was found that prevalence among pregnant women had continued to
increase. Consequently, the number of Namibian children losing their mother or both parents to AIDS is increasing from an
estimated total of 31 000 in 1999 to a projected 118 000 by 2006.
The same survey indicates a slight overall drop in HIV prevalence from 12% to 11% in the 15-19 age group in the period 20002002, but an increase from 20% to 22% in the 20-24 age group in the same period. Overall, prevalence in Namibia increases
rapidly from 11% in the 15-19 age group to 22% in the 20-24 age group, peaking at 28% in the 25-29 age group.
UNAIDS estimates an overall HIV prevalence rate of 22.5% as of 2001 with 230 000 people living with HIV/AIDS and 13 000
AIDS-related deaths in 2001 alone.
NAMIBIA
“I am often referred to as ‘the Mother of the Nation’, but I am sure you will agree that no mother would be able to cope with all these
children in need, and that is why you are here and why I am relying on you to help me in this endeavour.” – First Lady Ms Kovambo
Nujoma in her speech to the 2nd National Conference on OVC (2002) co-funded by USAID, FHI, UNICEF and the Namibian Government
OVC PROGRAM
Care and support for orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC)
Primary aim
The FHI Namibia OVC program supports a set of holistic
initiatives implemented by the government and NGOs in
support of OVC.
Implementing partners
Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Welfare
Catholic AIDS Action
Philippi Trust Namibia
AIDS Law Unit of the Legal Assistance Centre
Initiatives supported by FHI
National OVC Program of the Government of
Namibia – a program overseen by the Permanent OVC
Task Force resorting under the Ministry of Women
Affairs and Child Welfare and supported by national
and international NGOs and donor agencies including
FHI.
“Schooled for Success: Promoting Full School
Participation by OVC” – a Catholic AIDS Action
program aimed at ensuring that OVC attend school and
succeed in their schooling, to date incorporating a
major campaign on the right of OVC to attend school
and the provision of uniforms and other school supplies
to qualifying OVC.
Psychosocial Training for OVC – a Philippi Namibia
program aimed at training peer counselors for young
people and identifying potential youth leaders for
further training to assist OVC, and at counseling OVC
and helping them to overcome their difficulties and fears
through experiential learning. (Philippi Namibia is a
branch of Philippi Trust International.)
AIDS Law Unit of the Legal Assistance Centre – an
advocacy project focusing on entrenching the rights
of people living with HIV/AIDS and the rights of OVC,
and ensuring their access to legal support.
FHI Namibia continuously produces or commissions printed
materials (reports, information booklets, posters, etc.) on different
topics in its areas of interest for distribution to partners and for
public consumption.
Young Namibian girls participating in an after-school program
for girls run by Catholic AIDS Action with FHI support.
FHI NAMIBIA CONTACT DETAILS
+ 351 Sam Nujoma Drive, Klein Windhoek
P.O. Box 90199, Klein Windhoek, Namibia
(+264) (+61) 239463
(+264) (+61) 239461
Email info@fhi.org.na
Website http://www.fhi.org.na