USAID provides additional N$395 million to fight HIV/AIDS
The Agency for International Development (USAID), and the government this week signed an amendment to their 2007 bilateral grant agreement to add N$395 million of funding under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Economic Planning and Director of the National Planning Commission, Obeth Kandjoze, the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Bernard Haufiku, the Director of the USAID Southern Africa Regional Mission in Pretoria, South Africa, John Groarke, and the Ambassador of the United States of America to Namibia, Lisa Johnson.
According to a statement, these resources will fund activities under the 2018 PEPFAR Country Operational Plan; October 2018 to September 2019. With the addition of US$28.2 million, USAID’s contribution to the agreement totals N$4.5 billion since its inception in 2007.
Under PEPFAR, USAID and other U.S. Government partner agencies (the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, Peace Corps, and the State Department), together with their implementing partners, support MOHSS to combat HIV/AIDS in Namibia.
This work includes general HIV testing and treatment, prevention measures, capacity building, and logistics support. All of these elements are essential to control the HIV epidemic and achieve an AIDS-free generation in Namibia.
Furthermore, PEPFAR’s focus is on identifying and treating those who are infected but who have not yet tested, particularly individuals living in areas with a high prevalence of HIV, as well as on population groups most at risk of contracting HIV, such as young women and older men.
PEPFAR is the largest commitment ever by a single nation toward an international health initiative – a comprehensive approach to combating HIV/AIDS around the world. In Namibia, PEPFAR is led by the U.S. Ambassador, and programmed by an inter-agency management team chaired by the PEPFAR Coordinator.
Caption: Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Bernard Haufiku, Minister of Economic Planning & Director of the National Planning Commission, Obeth Kandjoze, U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson and USAID Southern Africa Regional Director John Groarke at the signing of the amendment to the 2007 bilateral grant agreement.
