Domestic funding needed to sustain access to HIV treatment

 

WINDHOEK – Project Manager at the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), Edward Shivute has warned that action is needed to maintain essential healthcare services, especially for people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, and those with hypertension. In an interview with Future Media, Shivute revealed growing health challenges in the transport sector and pushed for increased domestic funding to sustain medical programmes.

Shivute highlighted the success of the WBCG’s roadside wellness clinics along major corridor routes—featuring fixed and mobile facilities in Namibia, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola. These clinics have helped over 15,000 long-haul truck drivers with health check-ups, HIV testing, and ARV treatment, with approximately 10% of drivers now receiving life-saving medication.

“These clinics will provide unparalleled health and wellness solutions that transcend geographical boundaries… optimising physical, mental and emotional well‑being.”

Beyond HIV care, Shivute raised alarm at rising non-communicable diseases and other health risks among cross-border transport workers. He warned that without sustained funding and local investment, these services risk being scaled back.

 

Shivute called on domestic funders, both the government and the private sector, to partner with the Ministry of Health and ensure the clinics remain operational. He noted existing public-private partnerships, including a resource-sharing MoU with the Ministry of Health and Social Services, which empowers WBCG to operate clinic facilities as extensions of public care.

The WBCG intends to expand services to include mental health, cancer screening, nutrition counselling, and addressing emerging transport-sector threats like Mpox.