Namibia
The first HIV infection in Namibia was diagnosed in 1986, and the country now faces a mature generalized HIV epidemic that is primarily sexually transmitted. Antenatal clinic surveillance data show HIV prevalence rates among women increased to a high of 22 percent in 2002, leveled off at 20 percent in 2004 and 2006, and dropped to 18 percent in 2008, according to the 2008 National HIV Sentinel Survey. While the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS reported 15.3 percent prevalence in 2007, there is now evidence of a decline in prevalence to an interim 2009 Spectrum model estimate of 13.3 percent for 2008–2009. Namibia remains among the eight countries with the highest prevalence rates in the world, according to the Population Reference Bureau, requiring continued attention to both treatment and prevention. The population of 2.2 million is highly dispersed, creating challenges in accessing services and reaching remote populations. HIV prevalence varies greatly by region, from 6 percent to more than 30 percent; it is higher in the more densely populated regions along the northern borders with Angola, Botswana, and Zambia (Ministry of Health and Social Services Report of the 2008 National HIV Sentinel Survey).
Through a diverse portfolio of 25 programs, USAID/Namibia works at the community, facility, and national levels. At the community level, projects implement prevention, care, and support services; at the national level, programs provide health
services and pharmacy services in public and faith-based hospitals and clinics; at the national level, projects work to improve national policies and programs in health, education, and social services.
View the full USAID HIV/AID Country Profile for Namibia - November 2010 [PDF, 263KB].
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