Minister of Health and Social Service Richard Kamwi of Namibia

A member of the National Assembly with the South West Africa People's Organization since 1999, Kamwi has been the Minister of Health and Social Services since March 2005.

Upon the promotion of Minister Amathila to the post of Deputy Prime Minister along with the election of President Hifikepunye Pohamba, Kamwi was appointed to his current position.

Namibian Health Minister Richard Kamwi received the consignment from Copenhagen, Demark, on Tuesday, three days earlier than expected, the Namibia Press Agency (NAMPA) reported from Windhoek, capital of Namibia.

Kamwi said the early arrival of the vaccine would allow the Namibian government more time to plan for positioning of its health personnel and the distribution of the vaccines in the country's 13 regions.

Kamwi said the project is very important as it aims to put emphasis on improving health for HIV/AIDS infected and affected people, identifying orphans, as well as looking at TB and malaria patients.

Kamwi said that more funds were needed to make the anti-retroviral drugs accessible to Namibians currently living with HIV or AIDS.

Replying to a Member of Parliament from the opposition Monitor Action Group, Kosy Pretorius, who wanted to know why the government concentrated on propagating the safe sex message and ignoring the no-smoking message, Kamwi said that this was because it was easier to ask people to stop smoking.

Kamwi described the number of those left unvaccinated as insignificant, however an operation took place last weekend to cover all remaining persons in need of the vaccine.

Health Minister Dr Richard Kamwi says early indicators suggest that last week's first round of the mass polio immunisation campaign provided "excellent results.

Kamwi said the team presented a final report on Thursday.

Kamwi said that the government has started to purchase a large amount of drugs and that TB control in hospitals will be bolstered during the next few weeks.

Kamwi said a group of health workers will be trained to manage XDR-TB cases and will then be sent to regional hospitals.

Using the pesticide DDT in indoor insecticide-spraying programs is the most effective method of preventing the spread of malaria, Namibian Minister of Health and Social Services Richard Kamwi said this week at a Southern African Development Community meeting on DDT and malaria control, the New Era/AllAfrica.

However, Health Minister Richard Kamwi said recently that he believes the country will soon record its first case of the disease.

Kamwi said that there are 254 reported cases of multi-drug resistant TB in the country.

HIV prevention efforts in Namibia should "put more emphasis" on changing behavior and reducing HIV-associated stigma and discrimination, Namibian Health Minister Richard Kamwi said recently at a one-day meeting on the National HIV/AIDS Prevention Strategy in the Namibian capital of Windhoek, The Namibian/AllAfrica.

Kamwi said that HIV prevalence is increasing despite a "number of prevention and management programs" and investment from the Namibian government, development groups, the private sector and civil society.

Kamwi said that although he is impressed that about 80% of HIV-positive pregnant women in the country receive antiretrovirals to prevent MTCT, all women should have access to PMTCT.

Male circumcision programs in Namibia should be considered as part of a comprehensive package of HIV prevention interventions, Health and Social Services Minister Richard Kamwi said Thursday during an address to the National Assembly, the New Era/AllAfrica.

Health Minister Richard Kamwi said that all the work is going on in full swing and about 6 400 officials and volunteers had been deployed for the campaign.

Kamwi said such personnel would help share their wealth of experience with junior nurses and also help to enforce discipline at the workplace.

DEPUTY Health and Social Services Minister Richard Kamwi has urged rape victims to report to the nearest hospital within two hours of being attacked to receive an anti-AIDS drug which could prevent them contracting the disease.

Kamwi said "if the woman gets immediately to hospital we have measures in place to prevent her from infection.

Kamwi said the Ministry has started training health officials to start preparing for two pilot programmes, jointly sponsored with the French government, to provide anti-retroviral drugs (ARDs) to 500 HIV-positive mothers from Windhoek and Oshakati, their sexual partners and children.

To date between 204 000 to 300 000 people have been now infected, Minister of Health Social Services Richard Kamwi said this week.

Speaking at the one-day consultative meeting on the National HIV-AIDS Prevention Strategy held in the capital, Kamwi said cumulative figures show that the death toll as of March 2008 to date stands at 3 790.

Kamwi said the requirement that HIV-positive people have a treatment supporter is necessary to help meet the government's goal of prolonging the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Kamwi said that the policy does not violate human rights and that all World Health Organization member states have similar policies.

Kamwi said it is important to recognize that home-based care today is not only directed at HIV-related conditions, but also to many other health and social issues facing many communities.