New Era

KATIMA MULILO - The Namibia Planned Parenthood Association (NAPPA), an NGO that strives for the promotion of reproductive health and rights, recently opened a clinic at Katima Mulilo.

Though NAPPA has its presence in eight regions the new clinic that will promote reproductive health and family planning among the public is the second clinic to be opened in Namibia by the NGO.

NAPPA Country Programme Manager, Mutimbwa Siseho, said the new clinic being run by a registered nurse and an assistant will cost her organization over N$700 000 in annual operational costs.

Primary target groups are youths but grown-up adults would not be turned away while seeking assistance on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), family planning and reproductive health.

First Lady Penehupifo Pohamba who graced the official opening of the clinic located in the centre of Katima Mulilo remarked the opening of the facility came at the right time as she noted Namibian youth need health facilities like the NAPPA clinic at Katima.

"As a health professional, I can safely say that the provision of quality family planning information and services is a key to the reduction of maternal mortality and improvement of child survival," the First Lady said during the high-profile event.

She said teenage mothers face increased risks such as obstetric complications and they can easily give birth to premature, low-birth-weight or underweight babies that are prone to infections.

"The establishment of this clinic is overdue, as Caprivi Region has been experiencing an upsurge in the prevalence and spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We are encouraged by the fact that there are significant signs of this slowing down," enthused the First Lady.

Despite the positive social development, Pohamba expressed concern about an increase in gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies, unsafe abortions, sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS and the low usage of contraceptives.

And worryingly the perceived 'low status of women in society.'

Reciting the 2001 Population and Housing Census data, she noted about 40 percent of the population is below 15 years of age making Namibia susceptible to reproductive health and other challenges.

Problems in reproductive health among young people are rooted in societal norms that favour gender inequality such as the submissive behaviour of girls and the sexual attitudes of boys, she said.

"There is also the question of peer pressure that forces children to engage in early sexual relationships.

Children conform to what their friends and peers do and say in order to fit in or to be seen as to be part of the group," the First Lady told the gathering.

Another impediment mentioned was that there is a resistance to the dissemination of messages on sexuality and safer sex practices from parents, schools and churches and that this resistance stems from the misconception that 'sex education leads to promiscuity'.

But despite these challenges the First Lady expressed hope that NAPPA's timely intervention would bring about attitudinal change.

Caprivi Regional Governor Leonard Mwilima who addressed the same assembly said in no unequivocal terms that he embraced the concept of public private partnership (PPP) - as a significant path to improving developmental programmes in Namibia.

"It is with this in mind that I take cognizance of NAPPA's stance in working with Government (the Ministry of Health and Social Services) to expand and increase access to services such as those that the clinic to be inaugurated will be offering," said Mwilima.

"You will agree with me that although the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the Caprivi has reduced, there is still much to be done in curbing the spread of this pandemic," said the governor.

"It is a noted factor that the pandemic affects mainly young people who are lured into several promiscuous relationships - surely not by choice but there could be other factors that are at play, for example, poverty, etc.," he added.

NAPPA Country Director Sam Ntelamo said the NGO like other civil society organizations specializing in that field, strives on behalf of the target groups to provide unmet reproductive health services that seem to be widening within the Namibian society.

Ntelamo was emphatic NAPPA has been in the forefront in the advocacy for access to the comprehensive provision of sexual reproductive health (SRH) services. He further commended the Government for being receptive "to these advocacy efforts".

"Over the years we have contemplated replicating our reproductive health services to all corners of the country, and it appears this dream is being realized," he said while in the same vein he also commended donors for bankrolling the International Planned Parenthood Association (IPPA) to which NAPPA is affiliated.

The improvement and expansion of reproductive health care for expectant women will culminate in the reduction of maternal and child mortality rates in Namibia, particularly in rural areas.

The country director said the new clinic signifies another milestone in the improvement of access to comprehensive reproductive health services that are directed towards youth.

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