Human development ‘declining’

THE HIV-AIDS epidemic is the single largest factor in causing Namibia’s human development index to decline, a study by the Namibian office of a UN agency says.

The study, which draws on existing data, confirmed existing statistics of 2001, that life expectancy in Namibia dropped from the age of 61 in 1991 to the age of 49. Sebastian Levine, Senior Economist of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), also concluded that the Khomas Region has the highest living standards, while regions like Caprivi, Kavango and Ohangwena are at the bottom of the list.In his presentation on Wednesday, Levine noted that these regions were “under-prioritised in Namibia’s development budget.””The single greatest challenge, the greatest threat in Namibia today, remains HIV-AIDS, which through its impact on mortality is undermining the human development objectives of Vision 2030.”Sebastian Levine, Senior Economist of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), also concluded that the Khomas Region has the highest living standards, while regions like Caprivi, Kavango and Ohangwena are at the bottom of the list.In his presentation on Wednesday, Levine noted that these regions were “under-prioritised in Namibia’s development budget.””The single greatest challenge, the greatest threat in Namibia today, remains HIV-AIDS, which through its impact on mortality is undermining the human development objectives of Vision 2030.”