HIV awareness campaigns inform children about prevention and treatment

Mary Jordan/USAID

Global Health

Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), USAID works closely with the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Namibia to deepen Namibians’ capacity and technical skills to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic. USAID also partners with nongovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and government-supported hospitals and health care facilities across Namibia. USAID supports programs that both prevent new HIV infections, and provide care, treatment, and support to people living with HIV/AIDS. Activities include promoting social and behavioral change, voluntary medical male circumcision, and anti-retroviral therapy to HIV-infected pregnant women to help ensure their babies are born HIV-free.

Environment and Water

Since 1993, USAID has contributed substantial support to Namibia’s Community-Based Natural Resource Management program. Through the Southern African Regional Environmental Program, USAID improves water supply and sanitation services, while conserving biodiversity within the Okavango River Basin. This basin supports the livelihoods of more than 880,000 people in Namibia, Angola and Botswana. In 2017, USAID will launch new activities to mitigate Namibia’s drought crisis by identifying those most vulnerable and providing nutritional assessments, therapeutic food, water and sanitation services. USAID also will launch a series of programs across southern Africa, including Namibia, to combat wildlife crime and empower communities to derive sustainable livelihoods through improved management of wildlife resources. 

Economic Growth and Trade

USAID’s Southern African Trade and Investment Hub supports Namibia’s efforts to increase international competitiveness, intra-regional trade and food security. In partnership with Microsoft, we will establish a one-stop electronic customs clearance process - or “single window” - on the Botswana-Namibia border to enable the electronic exchange of declarations data, reducing costs and transit time. 

Working in Crisis 

USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) provides support and technical assistance through the World Food Program (WFP) to strengthen the capacity of the Namibian government to conduct Food Security Management Assessments and effectively design and manage food assistance programs. Since 2013, OFDA has also supported efforts by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to build resilience in drought-prone communities of southern Angola and northern Namibia, including through the promotion of climate-adaptive practices and diversified cropping, strengthening of veterinary services, and training in water conservation techniques.