Three more
New Start Centres in the Okavango and Otjiwarongo were inaugurated last week.
The centres are the Nyangana and Andara hospitals in Okavango, and the New Start
Centre Otjiwarongo. These centres are part of the effort by government to combat
the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The centres provide HIV/AIDS services including access to
anti-retroviral treatment and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission as
well as confidential and affordable voluntary counselling and testing. The New
Start Centre of Otjiwarongo will service the Otjiwarongo population and the
surrounding communities, while the two centres in Okavango are expected to help
halt the spread of HIV in that region and allow those infected to realize their
status and take advantage of available treatment and services. Okavango has a
high HIV prevalence rate of about 21.3% of the adult population. The Otjiwarongo
centre was inaugurated by the deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of
Health and Social Services, Simwanza Simenda, Bishop Dr. Zephania Kameeta of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church and Gary Newton, the mission director of the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID). In Otjiwarongo, the New
Start Centre is managed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church?s AIDS Programme
(ELCAP), while in Okavango the two centres are managed by the Roman Catholic
Church and Catholic Health Services. The Ministry of Health and Social Services
provides technical support to the New Start Centres countrywide. The
establishment of the New Start Centres in Namibia is made possible through funds
provided by USA President George Bush?s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Namibia
is one of 15 focus countries under the Emergency Plan, which is providing US$15
billion over five years to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic world-wide. The funds are
administered by USAID.