By Wezi Tjaronda WINDHOEK Namibia has made good progress in providing the youth in schools with HIV/AIDS education and life-skills training. Through the “My Future is my Choice” and “Window of Hope” programmes, implemented through the Ministry of Education with support from UNICEF, the ministry has covered over 70 percent of the youth in schools. This is one of the main achievements of the NDP 2, while other achievements were recorded in areas of advocacy, stigma and discrimination, treatment, care and support, national and regional programmes’ management structures as well as in national and international support. Over 19 000 youths were reached with HIV/AIDS education and life-skills information between 2005 and 2006 while 126 youth clubs were launched to reach the youth of the 13-18 age group. This information is contained in an NDP 3 submission of the Directorate: Special Programmes on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. Under the Key Result Area 5, Quality of Life, Goal 14 is to reduce the spread and effects of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. Namibia’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has increased from 19.7 percent in 2004 to 19.9 percent in 2006, according to the last Sero-Sentinel Survey. The other two diseases, malaria and tuberculosis, are also major public health problems in Namibia. Malaria is the leading cause of illness and death among under fives with a mortality rate of 60 cases per 100 000 population in 2006. Namibia has the second highest notification rate of tuberculosis, whose notification rate is 765 cases per 100 000. In 2006, 15 771 cases were reported. Other successes that the government has achieved in HIV/AIDS prevention include distribution of condoms, training Regional Aids Coordinating Committee members, and reaching 500 000 people through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s audio-visual outreach programme. Over the last three years, 206 clinics have been equipped for voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) programmes. In 2008, the aim is to have all health facilities covered with VCT. “In 2005, 31 050 clients were counselled and tested in the MOHSS setting,” said the document, adding that VCT centres run by the Social Marketing Association counselled and tested 65 271 clients since April 2004. Although the Ministry of Health and Social Services supported People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) networks to combat stigma and discrimination, a lot needs to be done to understand how stigma affects Namibia’s HIV/AIDS response and how it can be reduced. On treatment care and support, the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Programme, which the ministry piloted in 2002, has been rolled out to 165 health facilities from 44 facilities. By end March 2006, 34 Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) sites were established in Namibia, treating 19 000 patients eligible for ART. Of these, six percent were women, while 16 percent were children. Reported outcomes indicate that 92 percent of PLWAs on ART are still alive since starting the therapy, five percent have died, two percent have defaulted while the status of one percent is unknown. At the end of 2006, home-based care programmes offered by faith-based, non-governmental and community-based organizations reached close to 40 000 PLWAs providing them with HIV/AIDS palliative care including TB. Despite the achievements recorded during NDP 2, the challenge that remains is political commitment and the increase and allocation of funds towards HIV/AIDS to ensure a more sustainable response. “Only through increased commitment of government and traditional leaders and more involvement of PLWAs can the fight against stigma and discrimination bear more fruits,” the submission said.