Legal Assistance Centre-Namibia

AIDS LAW UNIT (ALU)

AIDS Law Unit staff provide training to People Living with HIV and AIDS to help them learn their legal rights.

The primary objective of the ALU is to promote an approach to HIV and AIDS in Nambia based on human rights. The project activities enhance an understanding and respect for the rights and requirements of people living with HIV and AIDS.

The focus is on the infringement of civil and political rights on the basis of HIV status, and the denial of socio-economic rights which both increases vulnerability to HIV and impacts negatively on health outcomes.

Discrimination and other HIV and AIDS rights issues are addressed on a number of levels and by various means, including policy formulation and research for law reform, litigation, advocacy, education and training, networking, publishing and provision of basic client services of such as legal advice and referral.

Click here to read about five specific projects the ALU is working on.
To learn more about specific cases the ALU is pursuing click here.

QUICK FACTS
Five key statistics about HIV in Namibia:

As of 2006, the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate stood at 19.3%.
AIDS deaths have left an estimated 85,000 children ages 0-17 orphaned.
The highest age prevalence ratio is in the 30-34 age group with a 29.5% infection rate.
The HIV prevalence for people age 15-24 years is 14.2%.
HIV prevalence is unevenly distributed in the country with a 39.4% infection rate in Katima Mulilo in north east Namibia to a 7.9% infection rate in Opuwo in north west Namibia.

- statistical data from UN AIDS, Country Statistical Data, 2006
Namibia's Ministry of Health and Social Services, Report of the 2006 National HIV Sentinel Survey

FEATURES
Read about one woman's struggle after her husband found out about her HIV status.
Taking a Stand: Sex in jails, fact not fiction

KEY PUBLICATIONS
Click here to see a list of publications the ALU has written or contributed to relating to HIV and AIDS in Namibia.