USAID/Namibia : HIV prevention, care and support project

The stated goal of the project was to build the capacity of indigenous organizations to respond to and implement HIV/AIDS programs leading to increased numbers of Namibians who know their HIV status, and to improved access to high quality HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and support and treatment services.IntraHealth was to work primarily with FBOs, other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the MoHSS in pursuit of these objectives, emphasizing building the capacity and availability of managers and staff within the FBO health care and MoHSS systems through training and TA to clinical and administrative personnel, and development of e-data systems for management of patients records, human resources and project data. Work was focused on voluntary counseling and testing centers (VCTCs), clinics at FBOs, and the development of, and training in the use of, the HRIMS (Human Resources Information Management System). These clinical and non-clinical activities have both direct and indirect impacts on the wide spectrum of HIV prevention and care, in such areas as availability and adherence to early diagnosis, appropriate antiretroviral treatment (ART), prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), and linkages of diagnosis and treatment of HIV and TB, etc. Now past mid-term and approaching the expected end of project in September 2013, and in the context of extraordinary success of the overall Namibian HIV Program, it is the opinion of the assessment team that the IntraHealth project has been a major success in meeting its objectives, though not without attendant current and future problems described in the evaluation.