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Nawa 25 |
May 19 2004 |
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PRIVATE HEALTH SECTOR JOINS IN THE PROVISION OF ARV TREATMENT
 Namibia has a very active private health sector, including private hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and social workers. Large and medium sized companies and the public sector provide access to health insurance for their employees. Therefore a not insignificant number of Namibians are covered under a health insurance plan and use the private sector for health care. With funding from USAID, FHI guidance and support was instrumental in establishing the Namibian HIV Clinicians Society. The newly created society with over 100 active members will ensure that private practitioners understand the importance of correct management of HIV according to the national treatment guidelines. In March 2004, with USAID Emergency Plan support, the Society organized a three-day Continuous Professional Development seminar on HIV disease management and ART attended by 63 health professionals. The Minister of Health and Social Services gave the keynote address and stressed the importance of a strong partnership between the public and private health sector and congratulated the HIV Clinicians Society for their effort to establish a network of well-qualified health professionals providing clinical care for HIV.
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| According to private medical claim information, over 2,600 persons received some form of ART in 2003. This number will grow over the next years, and although the majority of patients are prescribed appropriate treatment, a number of patients receive sub optimal or even inappropriate treatment. Inappropriate treatment provides no long-term health gains for patients. Moreover, it results in the selection of resistant viruses that no longer respond to treatment. With the establishment of the HIV Clinicians Society and continued support for training under the President`s Emergency Initiative, the Society will be strengthened to provide appropriate treatment according to national guidelines. |
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THE PHILIPPI NAMIBIA CAMP EXPERIENCE
 If you ask Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Namibia what makes them happy, they usually say three things: going to school; spending time with friends; and having someone with whom they can talk when they have a problem.
Not only was this confirmed during a series of site visits to different programs sponsored by the USG Emergency Plan in Namibia, but these values get regularly reinforced through the overnight Holiday Camps for OVC by USAID-supported Philippi Namibia, co-staffed by Catholic AIDS Action and other partners. Many children at a recent holiday camp outside reported spending long periods of time caring for an adult who was ill, or else having to relieve that person from other duties by taking on more housework or the care of younger family members.
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The loss of parents and other caregivers also results in a loss of household income, which may place school-attendance and basic nutrition in jeopardy. Together with their partners, Philippi Namibia works hard to keep children in school and in a safe and healthy environment. After-school programs and local Kids` Clubs offer supplement to what extended family members cannot provide.
Children at the Philippi Namibia camp were asked about the kind of support they think would help them — and other children like them — in order to grow up strong and healthy. Many children echoed the following responses:
- We need someone to love, who loves us back.
- I want to stay at a community Children`s Home, because where I am staying, my cousins come by and take over the whole house, and then I have to sleep outside.
- I don`t want to go home. The camp makes us forget our troubles.
- There should be more holiday camps for children, like this one.
- Here at the camp, I learned to feel special.
The children come from different religious traditions, but to all, Philippi staff add a spiritual dimension. In addition, the camps` participatory approach includes a focus on coping strategies, emotional and spiritual support, bereavement counseling, HIV education, and just plain "good fun"— which all children need. |
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JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT NAMIBIA WINTER SCHOOL
 The first ever Junior Achievement Namibia Winter School took place May 10-14, 2004. The event brought together representatives of Junior Achievement companies from all the regions of the country. Students were able to interact, share ideas and to receive the necessary expertise in order for them to run their respective companies. They were exposed to a number of business professionals who gave them a better understanding of the real business environment. Question and answer sessions allowed the students to obtain valuable insight into the challenges they were experiencing in their own companies. Here are some comments after the completion of the Winter School 2004:
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 "This program taught me about teamwork and how challenges can make us take initiative"(Monica Konghola, a grade 12 learner from A. Shipena High School). "This was a great experience, I learned more about business and entrepreneurship. I sincerely hope that events like this will continue to reach the Namibian youth"(Quinton Hampton, M&K Gertze High, Rehoboth).
Junior Achievement Namibia was formed in 2001 through a grant from USAID, and strives to educate and inspire Namibian young people to value free enterprise, develop entrepreneurial skills and, as a consequence, improve the quality of their lives |
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