UNAM’s
HIV/AIDS Unit hopes that World Aids Day 2006 will serve as an occasion for
introspection of the institution and its community thereby creating “awareness”
in a participatory manner. This will be done by bringing all categories of staff
together to deliberate on HIV and AIDS related issues. A testimony by an
HIV-positive Namibia known as Roswita will form part of the highlights of the
day. Her message is straight forward but encouraging. HIV is not a death
sentence. It is a manageable disease. Early detection allows an individual to
make lifestyle and health choices. Roswita will talk of her initial suffering
and her overcoming. Roswita is commemorating the day with the UNAM community.
The lighting of candles will underline the spiritual aspect inherent in any
healing or positive conception of life. The “zero tolerance” in the national
theme underlines that the time is ripe to attack HIV/AIDS where it is actually
spreading and reproducing. Though many Namibians seem to have adequate HIV/Aids
knowledge and awareness, prevention remains a great concern. Successful
containment of the damages caused by AIDS will only be possible, if the number
of new infections decrease. Since students will have left the campus at the end
of the semester, the day will be focusing primarily on staff, both academic and
non-academic. UNAM has a newly established HIV Coordination Unit (HCU), headed
by Dr. Scholastika Iipinge from the Faculty of Medicine and directly attached to
the Vice Chancellor’s office.