Namibia has launched a programme to encourage men to seek services to test for and treat HIV as part of efforts to reduce the prevalence of the disease in the country by 2030.
The programme, codenamed MenStar, was launched by Deputy Health Minister Esther Muinjangue at a ceremony held in the capital Windhoek on Tuesday.
Muinjangue said the programme was conceived after research showed that “men are lagging in the uptake of HIV services.”
“This has resulted in poor retention to care and viral load suppression among men, subsequently contributing to new HIV infections in the general population, as well as increased morbidity and mortality among men,” the deputy minister said.
She revealed that the 2017 Namibia Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment Report showed that women were responding well to the 90-90-90 UNAIDS target.
The UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets call for 90 percent of people living with HIV knowing their status, 90 percent of people living with HIV who know their status being on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 90 percent of people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy achieving viral suppression.
According the assessment report, women have reached the target of 90-97-92 compared to 80-95-89 for men.
“These findings indicate that men are lagging in the HIV cascade and negatively impacting the fight against HIV/AIDS in Namibia,” Muinjangue said.
More than 195,000 people living with HIV in Namibia currently have access to ART.
JN/APA