The High Prevalence of HIV and the Multiple Impacts of AIDS:

Addressing the impacts of AIDS through prevention, treatment and care The actual and potential impacts of AIDS have been well documented in this CCA and other sources. HIV/AIDS is increasing the vulnerability of households, eroding institutional capacities and is Namibia’s most pressing threat directly to the fulfilment of rights to life and health and indirectly to the status of all human rights in the nation. Undoubtedly, the UN’s efforts to combat the spread of HIV and the impacts of AIDS must be continued and increased; but they need to be approached more strategically in light of the Triple Threat and the funds provided by the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria and US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The midterm review of the present UNDAF made a number of recommendations that need to be taken into account when discussing the way forward on this issue. In addition, the actions identified in the Triple Threat document need to be integrated into UN country programmes as appropriate. The UN system can make an impact by focusing on community capacity development for HIV/AIDS mitigation, prevention efforts among the younger generations and care and support in the context of achieving MDGs.

Increasing Household Food Insecurity and Deepening Income Poverty and Disparities
Ensuring national and household food security: For reasons analysed in the Economic Rights section, chronic and acute food insecurity are persistent and potentially worsening problems in Namibia. It underlies the high prevalence of HIV, the heavy burden of other preventable diseases and conditions, the weaknesses in the uptake of education, the poor performance of learners in school and all of the manifestations of poverty. It could emerge as a threat to Namibia’s stability, particularly in light of the AIDS-related worsening of poverty and the historically inequitable distribution of land. Development Partners and the UN need to support GRN efforts to deal with the issues of food security, land reform and agricultural productivity in a comprehensive and cohesive manner. Efforts must be made to increase household income and agricultural productivity within the context of the AIDS-weakened capacities of families, communities and institutions. The capacities of national and regional emergency response mechanisms must be a particular focus so that the nation can cope with food emergencies caused by droughts and floods and worsened by the impacts of AIDS.

Supporting vulnerable households: Increasing unemployment, especially among youth, and poverty compounded by the impacts of AIDS has reduced earning capacity while increasing expenditure demands at the household level given the significant increase in the orphan population. These conditions make it an urgent necessity to support livelihood programmes that can generate income and employment primarily in the informal but also in the formal sector focussing on the most vulnerable groups such as households headed by women, the elderly and children. The unemployed and income poor are an untapped resource at a time when capacity constraints exist in a number of areas. They have a right to a decent standard of living and a role to play in national development that needs to be articulated.

Promoting economic growth and job creation: Economic growth is essential to increase the government’s revenue so that it can deal with the nation’s manifold challenges and to empower Namibians with jobs and self-sufficiency. It can lift people from poverty and thus increase hope for the future. The Development Partners and the UN must undertake and support programmes that assist the GRN with maintaining a stable and pro-poor macro-economic policy environment, attracting foreign direct investment and creating jobs.

Ensuring environmental sustainability: Namibia’s future is inextricably linked with its environment. Land degradation affects household food security and economic growth. The availability of clean water is a pressing health concern. Namibia’s biodiversity is at the heart of its tourism industry and is of global importance. Fisheries are under strain and are an important sector of the economy. Stress on the natural resources is increasing with the growth of Namibia’s population, industrialisation and global climate change. Development Partners and the UN must continue to support efforts to protect Namibia’s environment, promote sustainable land uses and expand access to safe water.

Weakening Capacities for Governance and for Delivery of Social Services
Strengthening the capacities of governance institutions to function effectively: As discussed in all sections of the preceding strategic analysis, the capacities of governance institutions to function effectively was a colonial legacy that is now compounded and further eroded by AIDS-related morbidity and mortality. Social service institutions in particular, such as schools, health facilities and special protection units, are faced with an increased burden of clients who are unable to pay for services, need special attention such as psycho-social support and are struggling to care for themselves. The workforce available to businesses is becoming strained as productive skills are lost. In order to help Namibia to deal with these threats, the development assistance framework must focus on capacity development, volunteerism, improving the efficiency of services, the effective distribution of ART and empowering communities to care for themselves.

Sustaining and increasing the efficiency and capacity of the health system: Improving the health and longevity of Namibians is a foremost priority. It is essential for enhancing the capacities of families, communities and institutions with wide-ranging effects on the economy and social wellbeing. The heavy burden of preventable diseases, the increasing demands of HIV prevention and AIDS care and the declining capacity of the health system due to AIDS necessitate urgent action. Skilled health workers are needed; and the system as a whole needs support with information management, planning, monitoring and evaluation. Initiatives to empower communities, especially in remote areas, to provide basic healthcare for themselves are a cost effective way to improve national health and need to be introduced at scale.

Improving access to and the quality of the education system: The impacts of education on improving national wellbeing and expanding opportunities are well-documented. Moreover, education is central to Namibia’s goal of becoming a knowledge society by 2030. In order to gain the greatest benefit from the education system, access to education must be expanded and its quality needs to be improved especially given the eroding effects of HIV/AIDS on the system. The UN system can make an impact in advocating for maintaining universal Primary education, expanding Secondary capacity, the equitable distribution of resource inputs and mitigating the impacts of AIDS on education.

Development of the national statistical system: Statistics and information are needed to inform policies and decisions and to monitor progress. They are an essential part of monitoring and evaluation systems to under-pin development policy. The preparation of the third statistical plan for Namibia coincides with the preparation of the UNDAF in 2004. This represents a real opportunity for the UN for joint, comprehensive and coordinated support to gathering, dissemination and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data and information. The aim should be to promote evidence based policy making and results based management that can deliver results in poverty reduction and promotion of sustainable human development.

Cross-cutting Issues and Root Causes
Addressing gender roles, discrimination and power imbalances: Gender issues lay at the root of inequities in wealth and education, domestic violence, rape and the high prevalence of HIV. Negative gender stereotypes are well-entrenched in Namibia and need to be addressed. The UN must encourage Namibian leaders to take a stand against gender discrimination and support efforts to enhance the status of women and to protect women and children.

The inequitable distribution of land and the pace of land reform: Land is a very charged issue in Namibia because a relatively small group of people hold most of the commercial land. The UN must encourage the Government to continue with its policies and programmes to make land available to the previously-disadvantaged. Government should also be assisted with making available the necessary transfer of skills and access to financial resources which the recipients of the land need to maximise their opportunities.

Social Cultural Issues: Namibia is home to a rich variety of cultures and ethnicities. Principles of the nation building process see women as equal to men, rejects violence and discrimination, protects the minority, respects free speech, values the environment and safeguards the human rights of every individual. The UN must encourage the Government and civil society to build these principles of nondiscrimination and full respect of human rights.

Confronting Alcohol Abuse: Alcohol abuse underlies many of the development challenges that Namibia faces. It erodes productivity, leads to crime and violence, increases propensities for risky sexual behaviour, weakens immunity and is an immediate health concern in itself. The entire governmental structure with external support and mobilization of civil society organisations can positively influence Namibian development by promoting responsible alcohol use and supporting treatment for abusers.

3.1 Conclusion
HIV/AIDS and its devastating impact on the lives of Namibians and the country’s development are truly the greatest challenge. However, where there is a challenge there is an opportunity. Turning the challenges posed by the Triple Threat in general and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in particular into opportunities for development should be at the core of UN assistance. This assistance must be based on the recognition that while the AIDS epidemic represents a formidable challenge it is one that can be effectively met. Other countries such as Uganda, Brazil and Thailand have shown that the war against AIDS can be won; it is a manageable disease.

Real opportunities for mobilizing communities in the national response are seized every day in partnerships with civil society and community based organizations. Scaling up the experiences of successful programmes and initiatives should be manageable in a country with a relatively small population. Using the process of implementation of Vision 2030 is a real opportunity to address long term and structural issues, essential to address root causes such as profound economic, ethnic and cultural inequalities, gender imbalances and the historical legacy. Here is an opportunity to bolster capacity, social service delivery, governance and the decentralisation process.

For the UN system, in particular, this also presents an opportunity to focus on establishing its continued relevance as a cohesive entity working in unison with the government, civil society and development partners as well as among the UN agencies themselves. It can exploit synergies through interagency collaboration and a multi-sector approach. The UN can strengthen capacity, focus on a human rights based approach, while capitalising on its international network and best practices.

This CCA presents the UN System in Namibia with the opportunity to refocus its collective energies and resources to make a difference in the country’s development. The human rights-based approach to programming followed in this analysis has identified the critical development challenges facing Namibia. By focusing the UNDAF on two or three overarching issues emerging from this analysis, the UN can build its programmes over the 2006 to 2010 period around a common conceptual framework with the potential for strongly integrated programmes and complementarity.

Although some of the necessary data is out-of-date or missing altogether it should be recognised that Namibia is making good progress towards three MDGs: achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women and ensuring environmental sustainability, as well as in components of three others.

The Triple Threat is a natural and pressing focus for the UNDAF and subsequent joint programming. All of the critical challenges analysed in this document can be linked conceptually to focus on AIDS, food insecurity and the weakening of institutional capacities, as well as the cross-cutting issues of gender inequality, social cultural issues, alcohol abuse and the historical legacy. The relationships between the Triple Threat and economics, life and health, education, gender issues, children, civil and political rights, and the environment are direct and reciprocal.

In conclusion, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Namibia but there are still windows of opportunity available to the Government, the UN System in Namibia and their stakeholders through jointly embracing the aforementioned developmental and organisational opportunities the impact of the Triple Threat may be softened and perhaps avoided altogether.