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Technical Assistance in Developing Private Sector Resources for the Treatment of HIV/AIDS in Namibia: Work Done in Conjunction with PharmAccess International (PAI)

This report presents the history of technical assistance provided by the Commercial Market Strategies project to support the expansion of private sector treatment of HIV/AIDS in Namibia. The work, supported by USAID, was undertaken between March and September 2004, and was performed in conjunction with PharmAccess International (PAI). Appended to this brief report are a series of documents that are the results of the work performed, designed to move forward funding of HIV care and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) by private employers, while expanding the purchase of such care from private providers. In Namibia, the government (with the collaboration of many donors) is working to roll out public sector HAART treatment programs. However, in the foreseeable future, personnel constraints will restrict the ability of the government program to fully meet national need. There is a strong private medical sector in Namibia, and substantial medical scheme coverage among higher wage employees. CMS and PAI efforts were designed to expand the number of Namibians receiving employer supported HIV treatment, and to tap into the private sector to absorb some of the demand for HAART care which would otherwise lengthen the queues for treatment in the public sector.