Lűderitz, Dec 1, 2015 --- U.S. Ambassador Thomas Daughton brought an early Christmas gift to this year’s World AIDS Day commemorations at the coastal town of Lűderitz on December 1, 2015.  U.S. Ambassador Daughton announced that the United States will pledge US$46 million (approx. N$640 million) to fight HIV and AIDS in Namibia over the next year as part of its continued bilateral commitment in the health sector.  In addition to that, the United States is mobilizing US$34 million (approx. N$ 475 million) over the next two years to accelerate the delivery of HIV treatment services in areas with the highest prevalence and the greatest need.

Funding is made possible through the United States’ President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).  The announcement coincides with the Ministry’s launch of the HIV Combination Prevention Strategy.  Some of the cornerstones of this important strategy include free and confidential HIV counseling and testing, free anti-retroviral therapy (ART) for each individual living with HIV, and free voluntary medical male circumcision to prevent the spread of the virus.

“The goal of an AIDS-free generation worldwide was first envisioned by U.S. President George W. Bush, whose bold proposal in 2003 created the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. PEPFAR began working in Namibia in 2004. Since then the U.S. government has contributed US$1.1 billion – more than N$15 billion at today’s exchange rate – through PEPFAR to help Namibia realize an AIDS-free generation,” said the Ambassador.

Ambassador Daughton highlighted that with U.S. support, Namibia cut in half its HIV infection rate since 2004 and has seen life expectancy rise from 56 years in 2005 to 64 years in 2012, according to the World Bank.  Most significantly, today the majority of Namibians know their HIV status and more than 60 percent of all people living with HIV had accessed anti-retroviral therapy by the end of 2014, prolonging their lives and preventing the spread of the disease to their partners.

“I want to encourage each of you to think about what you can do individually and what we can do together to make the dream of ‘Zero new HIV infections, Zero Discrimination, and Zero AIDS-related deaths’ a reality in Namibia. Working together, we can do it!” concluded the Ambassador.

About PEPFAR

PEPFAR is the largest commitment ever by a single nation toward an international health initiative - a comprehensive approach to combating HIV/AIDS. PEPFAR employs the most diverse prevention, treatment, and care strategy in the world, with an emphasis on transparency and accountability for results. In addition to providing an unprecedented commitment of resources, PEPFAR has demanded a new, results-oriented way of doing business, with high levels of accountability, establishment of measurable goals against which progress will be tracked and evaluated, and funding decisions based on performance toward these goals.

PEPFAR is the cornerstone and largest component of the U.S. President’s Global Health Initiative. With a special focus on improving the health of women, newborns and children, the Global Health Initiative’s goal is to save the greatest number of lives by increasing and building upon what works and, then, supporting countries as they work to improve the health of their own people. In Namibia, PEPFAR is led by the U.S. Ambassador and programmed by an inter-agency management team chaired by the PEPFAR coordinator.

CONTACT: Priscilla Hernandez
Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy, Windhoek
Phone: 061-229801 (Ext. 222)