HIV and AIDS Management Unit

IMPLEMENTATION STATEMENT:

ACT NOW AND SAVE THE YOUNG PEOPLE FROM HIV& AIDS/STI INFECTIONS

A. LOCATION:

This Region is one of 13 political regions in the Government of the Republic of Namibia. It is a stretch of land (popularly known as the “arm” of Namibia) situated in the North Eastern of the country. It borders with the following neighboring countries:

1. Botswana in the East and South
2. Zimbabwe in the North East
3. Zambia in the North
4. Angola in the North West

Caprivi Region borders with Kavango Region in Namibia in the West.

B. POPULATION:

According to the census carried out in 2001, the population of the region was as shown below:

C. EDUCATION:

There are 98 educational institutions in the region. Of these, records show that:

1. The number of Primary Schools are: 40
2. The number of Combined Schools are : 46
3. The number of Junior Secondary Schools are: 2
4. The number of Senior Secondary Schools are: 10
5. The is only 1Teacher training College (Caprivi College of Education) and
6. 1 Vocational Training Centre (Zambezi Vocational Training Centre)

The number of children of 6-15 years of age attending school is approximately 81% for boys and 80% for girls!

D. LITERACY RATE:

The region is blessed. It had 78% literacy for the 15+ years by 2001. The number could be a little more by now!!

E. HIV & AIDS PREVALENCE RATE:

The HIV & AIDS prevalence rate in this region is 39.1% now according to the previous survey. But by 2003 and part of 2005, it was 43%!! Why is the HIV & AIDS prevalence rate so high in this Region? The highly suspected underlying factors responsible for the high rate are poverty, ignorance, cultural practices/ beliefs, belief in witch craft, conflicting religious communications, Katima Mulilo being an inter-country crossing a point. B

F. WAR ON THE SPREAD OF HIV & STIs:

Since June 2007, there has been a real big fight against the spread of HIV & STIs in the region through the educational institutions. To make sure that a cross section of our communities were sensitized about the dangers of HIV & STIs, sensitization programmes through the use of music, dance & drama, presentations by HIV & AIDS knowledgeable personalities, HIV & AIDS/ STIs related posters etc, were scheduled and implemented at the Educational Cluster Centre levels.

Meetings and workshops for stakeholders have also been conducted in the Cluster Centre levels in the region and as a result of these efforts, the following courses of direction have been agreed upon as a way to decentralize HIV & AIDS activities from the Regional level to the grassroots. That:

1. There should be a School HIV & AIDS Week at the School level at least once per semester.
2. There should be a Cluster HIV & AIDS Day at the Cluster level at least once in a year
3. All the efforts should be made to see to it that the National Policy on HIV & AIDS for the Education Sector is introduced to the stakeholders so that they could begin to implement it.

NB: The people’s recommendations are being implemented. All the levels (school, Cluster,
Circuit and Region levels) are busy coming with their action work-plans for 2006.

G. MANAGEMENT OF HIV & AIDS ACTIVITIES IN THE REGION

The management of HIV & AIDS activities in the Region is in the hands of the Regional AIDS Committee for Education (RACE).

CURRENT COMPOSITION OF RACE:

The following are the current members of RACE for the Region:

PARTNERS

• UNICEF
• VSO
• The MAPILELO Project
• The Social Marketing Association (SMA)
• The RED CROSS SOCIETY of Namibia
• “OUR HIV ABC” Sikolo Project
• Ombetja Yehinga Organization
• Ministries of Health & Social Services and Gender Equality & Child Welfare