Aids in Namibia

The Issue of AIDS & HIV in Namibia
Like many countries in Africa, Namibia has a large problem when it comes to the epidemic of AIDS & HIV. It is an extremely critical and public issue in the country and is in fact the largest killer of people in Namibia and one of the highest rates of infection in the entire world.

A whopping figure of 17% of the country's children have been orphaned of at least one parent due to the disease since 1996. An even sadder fact is based on the country's life expectancy, with it decreasing from 61 in 1991 to 49 in 2001, a drop of 12 years in a decade.

The main cause of the diseases being spread throughout the country comes from the limited use of condoms.

The treatment of the diseases can be difficult due to Namibia being the second most sparsely populated country in the world. There are large efforts by the Namibian government to go to these rural areas and provide adequate treatment and care to those affected by the disease in the smaller communities. This is often hampered by many within the community not being trained in helping out the people who suffer from both diseases.

Having said this however, there has been a significant drop in the direct transfer from mother to child which has been applauded within the country and throughout the international community.

Aids in Namibia won't be solved overnight. Always be careful when travelling to Namibia and remember to be safe.