Three African countries to Launch pilot PEPFAR programmes

The programme, HIV Prevention in care and Treatment Settings, is part of the USA President's Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This is a special initiative that targets HIV-positive people who are already receiving treatment. The initiative aims to encourage HIV-positive people to have safer sex, promote HIV testing to their partners, receive treatment for other sexually transmitted infections and get family planning counselling.

Namibian Minister of Health and Social Services Richard Kamwi said that although prevention among HIV-positive people is an important component of a comprehensive strategy, such efforts almost have exclusively targeted HIV-negative people. He added, "It has been realized however that there is need to extend the prevention strategies to include HIV-positive people." Kamwi called for a quick rollout of the initiative to other countries equally affected by the disease. The initiative is expected to begin later this year. The success of the pilot programmes will determine if the initiative will be expanded to other countries.