Namibia's Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi, says the target of providing life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) therapy to 30,000 HIV positive patients before a 2008 deadline is on course and would be met by early 2007.
It is thought that 52,000 people are in need of ARVs, but the estimated 230,000 HIV-positive Namibians were all potential candidates for treatment, according to the state-owned New Era newspaper.
"These success stories are partly as a result of our development partners," Kamwi said on Saturday after his return from Toronto, Canada, where he had attended the 16th International conference on AIDS. "As a government, we must be mindful of the fact that it is not our money - it is foreign funds."
He added that in order to sustain progress, the country would have to start putting more funds towards HIV/AIDS programmes, which were funded mainly by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the US President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief.
It is thought that 52,000 people are in need of ARVs, but the estimated 230,000 HIV-positive Namibians were all potential candidates for treatment, according to the state-owned New Era newspaper.
"These success stories are partly as a result of our development partners," Kamwi said on Saturday after his return from Toronto, Canada, where he had attended the 16th International conference on AIDS. "As a government, we must be mindful of the fact that it is not our money - it is foreign funds."
He added that in order to sustain progress, the country would have to start putting more funds towards HIV/AIDS programmes, which were funded mainly by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the US President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief.
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