Campaign Against Stigma and Discrimination Launched. 5/11/10

Namibia is heavily affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic

Windhoek — Many strides have been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the country, however an estimated 174 000 people are living with the disease, with only a fraction able to access essential health care.

Kahijoro Kahuure, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), says much has to be done to scale up HIV intervention and achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG 6) which seeks to halt and reverse the spread of HIV by 2015.

"Namibia is heavily affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. And approximately 6 100 persons died of AIDS related causes in 2009 in Namibia. Women infected with HIV have grown at a faster pace than men. The 2008 sentinel surveillance report shows that HIV prevalence has declined but despite this an estimated total number of new infections was 15 700. This implies an average of 40 new infections per day in Namibia. There are persistently high numbers of new infections and equally high numbers of AIDS deaths year upon year," said Kahuure in an issued statement, this week.

He added that the epidemic has cut across all sectors of society and is severely affecting the population.

In light of this, the ministry launched a campaign which focuses on promoting human dignity, respect and protecting the human rights of people living with or affected by HIV. The campaign was launched in commemoration of World AIDS Day 2010 which is celebrated on 1 December every year.

This year's theme is 'Addressing Stigma and Discrimination to prevent new Infections'.

"Stigma and discrimination fuels the transmission of HIV and have greatly increased the negative impact associated with the epidemic. HIV-related stigma and discrimination continue to be manifested in every country and region of the world, creating major barriers to preventing further infection, alleviating impact and providing adequate care, support and treatment," said Kahuure.

He further said: "Stigma can lead to discrimination and other violations of human rights which affect the well being of people living with HIV in fundamental ways. Not only is HIV-related discrimination a human rights violation, but it is also necessary to address such discrimination and stigma in order to achieve public health goals and overcome the epidemic."

Namibia signed the Declaration of Commitment adopted by the United Nations' General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS in June 2001, which states that confronting stigma and discrimination is a pre-requisite for effective prevention and care.

"The threat of HIV/AIDS requires action. On World AIDS Day 2010 let us speak about HIV/AIDS and tear down the walls of silence, stigma and discrimination that surround the epidemic," Kahuure said.