Staff Reporter
IN Namibia, the number of new HIV infections and HIV prevalence are on the decline. The number of AIDS-related deaths is also decreasing, but not fast enough.
This information is contained in the Health Ministry’s 2024 HIV Spectrum Estimates, released recently by Executive Director Ben Nangombe.
Nangombe said that despite the decline in AIDS-related deaths, the ministry has said a high number of deaths among people living with HIV due to tuberculosis co-infection.
The ministry’s 2023 indicators show that:
- More women are living with HIV than men;
- HIV prevalence remains high, particularly among women; and
- New HIV infections remain high.
The ministry, in collaboration with UNAIDS, produces HIV estimates annually using the Spectrum Estimation and Projection Package Model, which provides an overview of the HIV epidemic status of the country.
The estimate puts the number of people living with HIV in Namibia at 228,538.
New HIV infections across all age groups are estimated to be 6%, while HIV prevalence among those aged 15 to 49 is said to be 9.7%.
According to the 2023 indicators, 94% of adults (15 years and older) living with HIV know their HIV-positive status, and 96% of the adults who know their HIV-positive status are on antiretroviral therapy. Of these, 98% are virally suppressed.
Nangombe said, “The Ministry appreciates line ministries, all stakeholders, communities, and patients for their continued collaboration in the national response to HIV and moving Namibia closer to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”
