Nico Smit
27 April 2011
Namibia has almost achieved universal access to HIV-AIDS treatment, but should shift the focus of its HIV-AIDS prevention strategy from a commodity to a community-based approach, says Michel Sidibé, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV-AIDS (UNAIDS).
Sidibé was on a three-day visit to Namibia to study the progress made in Namibia to scale up HIV interventions and to address the AIDS epidemic. The UNAIDS executive director arrived in Windhoek on Monday evening and left on Wednesday.
Sidibé met government leaders to discuss challenges and successes in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. During his time in Namibia, Sidibé met with President Hifikepunye Pohamba, Prime Minister Nahas Angula, Health Minister Richard Kamwi and Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.
He also met African health ministers who were in Windhoek for the African Union Conference of Ministers of Health.
At the meeting between Sidibé and the Health Minister, the UNAIDS executive director was briefed on the current situation in Namibia with regard to the programmes and funding dealing with the response to HIV-AIDS.
According to Sidibé, the achievements reached in Namibia are among only a few success stories in the fight against HIV-AIDS on the African continent.
He added that in its response to the epidemic, Namibia has demonstrated that it is possible to reduce HIV prevalence among young people and that universal access to HIV-AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support is not just a slogan.
Speaking on the campaign ‘Zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and zero discrimination’, Sidibé said it is about fighting for social justice, fighting for equal distribution of opportunities and fighting to make sure that delivery systems are changed to be more inclusive.
The UNAIDS executive director said at a media briefing on Wednesday that he was leaving the country “with a very positive spirit.” Sidibé said Namibia has almost achieved universal access, as 80 per cent of people who need treatment have access to it. He added that “soon Namibia will be able to say that it has eliminated mother-to-child-transmission of HIV”.
He commended Namibia for the fact that its response to HIV-AIDS is primarily focused on prevention. He said this is largely commodity driven, such as condoms, but prevention should be approached from a different perspective.
Sidibé said the prevention strategy should be community based, because although it is a disease, AIDS is not like tuberculosis or malaria in that it involves social inequity, human rights and social behaviour.
He emphasised a community approach which would include reducing violence against women, teenage pregnancies and other societal problems.
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Sidibé Praises Nation’s HIV Effort