Project Hope Namibia has come up with a new project to help young people living with HIV in Namibia.

Project Hope Namibia spokesperson Fillipus Absalom informed Nampa in an interview on Tuesday about the Reach Namibia project that started in February this year, that aims to avert new infections for young people and improve treatment outcomes for HIV positive young people. This is by increasing access to comprehensive HIV prevention and impact mitigation services.

He said they want to help young people at risk of HIV and violence by increasing their access to Family Planning services.

‘We want to increase access to biomedical HIV prevention services including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), condoms, HIV testing services and referral for voluntary male medical circumcision for orphans and vulnerable children, boys and sexual partners,’ said Absalom.

He added that the project also helps one to have the opportunity to gain new knowledge on HIV, build resilience and understand violence prevention and the bene
fits of HIV treatment adherence.

One of the project’s Oshikoto representatives, Melody van der Merwe said she assists vulnerable children between the ages of 10 and 24 years who are in school as well as school dropouts.

‘We provide them with stationery, school uniform, soap and pads and solar lights through the Reach programme,’ she said.

Van der Merwe is currently focusing on schools in the Oshivelo circuit in the region and they have assisted six schools so far.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency