THE North Star Foundation (NSF) launched its first Namibian wellness centre in Walvis Bay on World AIDS Day last year, and aims to provide preventive and treatment services to long-distance drivers, sailors and local sex workers.
The foundation is part of the United Nations Welfare Programme and is operative in six African countries, namely Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Malawi and Swaziland.
The Walvis Bay project is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and TNT Express International, and according to Clémentine Noblecourt, senior consultant for NSF, it is expected that the centre will be self-sustainable within three years.
Walvis Bay’s HIV prevalence rate is over 28 per cent, the highest in Namibia.
‘The highly mobile nature of the population in this town makes them a particularly high-risk group,’ said Noblecourt.
Walvis Bay is located halfway down the coast, with direct access to major fishing routes.
The Trans-Caprivi and Trans-Kalahari highways link the town with Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe – countries with very high HIV infection rates.
Said Paul Matthew, NSF Africa Operations Director: ‘After spending months at sea or cooped up in a truck for several days, young people working far from home may engage in risky behaviour, thus exposing themselves to HIV and further fuelling the pandemic.’
The wellness centre is a converted shipping container near the main truck entrance to the port and just behind Walvis Bay’s ‘red-light district’, making it ideally situated to capture the target group.
The rest of the town’s community is also welcome to make use of the facility. Noblecourt said the centre provides primary healthcare and testing and consultation for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and is open Mondays to Fridays from 15h00 to 22h00.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
