HIV/AIDS is Namibia's most pressing health issue, with 22.5 percent of the adult population HIV positive. In the Caprivi strip north of Botswana, seroprevalence data for pregnant women has hit 43 percent. This is probably due to land transport routes to landlocked interior countries.

The northeastern half of Namibia is at high risk for malaria, and the malarial mortality rate for the country as a whole is 300 per 100,000 children ages 0-4. TB is not as significant a health risk. TB mortality is 29 per 100,000 for all ages, lower than in many other sub-Saharan nations. Only 50 percent of TB cases are treated under DOTS protocols.

Sources: BBC country profile; AllAfrica.com, IRIN, August 3, 2004; Synergy Project; United Nations Statistics Division

Namibia established a National AIDS Control Program in 1990. The control program has largely succeeded in making the population aware of the risks of HIV/AIDS, and is now working on changing sexual behaviors to limit its spread. The government of Namibia has made a commitment to provide anti-retroviral and anti-AIDS drugs, such as Nevirapine, Diflucan, Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), AZT, 3TC, and Crixivan, to some patients. In mid-2004 approximately 2,000 Namibians were receiving ARV medications through seven public hospitals located in Windhoek, Oshakati, Rundu, Katima Mulilo, Walvis Bay, Rehoboth, and Keetmanshoop.

Namibia's National Malaria Control Program is headquartered in Oshakati in the northern part of the country. It has instituted bednet programs in the towns of Ongandjera and Rundu, and monitors chloroquin resistance throughout the north. Chloroquin remains the malaria drug of choice in Namibia.

Since 1995 Namibia has been a part of the Southern African Tuberculosis Control Initiative (SATCI), and has implemented reforms improving case detection and management, and reducing the number of treatment defaulters.

In August 2004 the Namibian Ministry of Health published new guidelines for medical research in the country. The purposes of the guidelines are to better protect the subjects of human research, and to avoid duplication of efforts.

Sources: WHO; AllAfrica.com, The Namibian (Windhoek), June 24, 2004; AllAfrica.com, The Namibian (Windhoek), August 5, 2004

Demographic data contained in this section was obtained from the following sources: The Population Reference Bureau’s 2009 World Population Data Sheet was used for total population, life expectancy at birth, infant mortality, fertility, birth rate, death rate, % of married women 15-49 using modern methods of contraception, % of population 15-49 with HIV/AIDS in 2007/2008, and the GNI PPP per capita (2008). Literacy rates were found in the Population Reference Bureau’s publication 2005 Women of Our World. HIV prevalence data for 2001 and 2003 was obtained from the UNAIDS Barcelona 2002 report; HIV prevalence and orphan data for 2005 was obtained from the UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2006. Data on the % women who have discussed AIDS prevention with their husband or partner can be found in ORC Macro and USAID’s Women’s Lives and Experiences: Changes in the Past Ten Years (Research Findings from the Demographic and Health Surveys). Childhood malaria mortality data was accessed in 2003 from the United Nations Statistics Divisions’ Millennium Indicators. Tuberculosis data was obtained from the United Nations Statistics Division’s Millennium Indicators: MDGInfo 2006. In some cases information was unavailable.

• 44 hospitals
• 38 health centers
• 280 clinics
• 6738 hospital beds
• 476 doctors
• 4495 nurses

The 440 bed State Hospital in Windhoek is the premiere hospital in the country.

Source: Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services

University of Namibia, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences

Entity	Project Title	Diseases	Primary Category	Secondary Category
NIH	Core--International	HIV/AIDS	Prevention
	(P.I. PARKER, RICHARD G. 2003-2008) This goal of this project is to work together with the other HIV Center Cores as well as with institutional...
Other US	CDC	HIV/AIDS	General
	Namibia is part of CDC's Global AIDS Program network.
Other US	USAID	HIV/AIDS	General
	USAID is targeting its aid for Namibia's fight against HIV/AIDS to five cities and towns and their surrounding regions. Those locations are:...
International	GFATM (Global Fund to Fight ADIS, TB and Malaria)	HIV/AIDS,Tuberculosis,Malaria	General
	In Round 2 of Funding, The Global Fund approved grants for $26 million, $3.7 million and $900,000 to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB, respectively,...
NGO	Bristol Myers Squibb: Secure the Future Programs	HIV/AIDS	General
	Namibia was included in Bristol-Myers Squibb's five-nation $100 million Secure the Future anti-HIV/AIDS campaign launched in 2000. Other nations...
NGO	International Red Cross and Red Crescent	HIV/AIDS	General
	The German Red Cross (prior to World War I Namibia was a German colony) and the Canadian Red Cross support HIV/AIDS work in Namibia.