Joseph Kaula

ONAMUKULO – The Ohangwena Health Directorate says the region has recorded a decline in new HIV infections, despite remaining one of the most affected regions in the country.

Delivering remarks during the World AIDS Day commemoration at Onamukulo on Monday, regional health director Robert Nandjila said the region continues to make progress in expanding access to free antiretroviral therapy (ART) and maintaining treatment adherence.

According to Nandjila, 29 159 people living with HIV are currently receiving ART across all health facilities in Ohangwena. In 2024, a total of 57 552 people were tested for HIV, of whom 781 (1.3%) tested positive. This year, 50 849 people have been tested, with 591 (1.1%) confirmed positive cases, all of whom were immediately initiated on treatment.

He said the day also serves as a reminder of lives lost in the early years of the epidemic, while reinforcing prevention efforts and behaviour change. “HIV is still real. If we stop spreading the virus, we stop the epidemic,” he cautioned.

Chairperson of the Ohangwena Regional Council, Efraim Lebeus Shipindo, applauded Namibia for surpassing the global UNAIDS 95-95-95 treatment targets, describing it as a milestone in the national response to HIV. He also welcomed government’s planned transition to lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV medication administered twice a year, which he said will be a major game-changer in strengthening adherence.

Shipindo further thanked development partners, including PEPFAR, the Global Fund and UNAIDS, for continued financial and technical support in fighting the epidemic.

-Joseph Kaula is an Information Officer in the Ministry of ICT, based in Ohangwena.