HIV/AIDS in Namibia is a critical public health issue. HIV has been the leading cause of death in Namibia since 1996, but its prevalence has dropped by over 70 percent in the years from 2006 to 2015. While the disease has declined in prevalence, Namibia still has some of the highest rates of HIV of any country in the world. In 2016, 13.8 percent of the adult population between the ages of 15 and 49 are infected with HIV. Namibia had been able to recover slightly from the peak of the AIDS epidemic in 2002. At the heart of the epidemic, AIDS caused the country's live expectancy to decline from 61 years in 1991 to 49 years in 2001. Since then, the life expectancy has rebounded with men living an average of 60 years and women living an average of 69 years
This increase in life expectancy is attributed to better sexual health education and an increased use of antiretroviral therapy in the infected population. Aid organisations and the Namibian government have worked together to increase the use of Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) by those infected. In 2016 an estimated 64% of HIV positive people in Namibia are on ART, a number that has been rising by more than 3% a year since 2010.
However, the HIV epidemic still continues to affect the country in a large way. Close to 17 per cent of Namibia's children under the age of 18 are orphaned by at least one parent – mostly due to HIV.
Disease spread
One of the reasons the disease is spread so easily is due to those who contracted the disease not knowing that they are HIV-positive and therefore not taking the proper precautions to prevent further transmission. It is common for people not to know about their HIV status because getting tested is stigmatized in Namibian society. Other reasons for the high transmission rates of the disease in Namibia are attributed to alcohol use and poverty. According to a study, it is more difficult to make the right decision about condom use when alcohol is involved making it easier for individuals to spread the virus. According to a report released from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, women are more likely to contract the disease than men are. One explanation for this disparity leads back to the idea that there are not as many opportunities for Namibian women to make money compared to that of Namibian men. This can lead to women participating in sexual acts in exchange for capital. The area of Namibia with the largest population of HIV positive individuals is the capital of Zambezi Region, Katima Mulio.
1990s
Though the disease was not prevalent in Namibia until the mid-1990s, the first sighting of the disease occurred in the late 1980s. There were two common ways to contract HIV during the 1990s in Namibia. The disease is transferred between a man and woman as well as the transmission from a mother to a child. HIV contracted during heterosexual intercourse is most often due to unprotected sex. However, numerous organisations in Namibia have implemented programs promoting the importance of condom use which has contributed significantly in fighting against the spread of the disease. Pregnant women who are HIV-positive have a high possibility of passing the disease on to their children. For this reason, breast-feeding is often not recommended. The number of people with HIV in Namibia skyrocketed between 1990 and 1998 resulting in a substantial decline in life expectancy among both male and females in the early 2000s.
2000s
In 2001, the number of people living in Namibia with AIDS reached 230,000. After 2002, a minor decrease in HIV prevalence is evident. However, by 2005, the deaths caused by HIV/AIDS were at an all-time high. This decline can be attributed to several factors, one including women aged 15-24 who have multiple sex partners using condom at an increasing rate between the years 2000 and 2006.