This program will continue to deliver prevention activities for the high risk military community in support of

the Namibian Ministry of Defense Military Action and Prevention Program (MAPP). This narrative details the

consolidation of current program area Abstinence and Be faithful (AB). FY 2008 funds will continue to

support activities focusing on abstinence and being faithful (AB). The main objective will be to increase

coverage and quality of Behavior Change Communication (BCC) messages of AB to over 10,000 soldiers.

The source of these messages will be the chaplains, base commanders and peer educators, who will

continue to receive HIV/AIDS prevention information through trainings in order to reinforce the AB

messages in the military. Consultations will be scheduled with chaplains to seek their continued support.

Chaplains will also be trained to include in their counseling and testing services will include, especially

couple counseling, STI, PMCTC and ARV. Service promotional cards will be distributed to the soldiers and

these will be tracked through a system that will be developed within the bases and camps. To do this SMA

will work with the MAPP care and treatment partner to develop referral hubs using the existing health

system of MOD/NDF. Chaplains will urged to use couple counseling and marriage counseling sessions to

promote the sexual rights of women, church sermons to promote the AB messages. While it may not be

considered a reality and that some members do not understand the value of faithfulness, messages will

continue to strongly focus on abstinence before marriage and while away from ones partner and

faithfulness.

Other training for the chaplains, commnaders and peer educators will sensitize them on stigma and

discrimination and gender equity in the military. The program will continue to support the implementation of

the Namibia Strategic Plan on Gender and activities will aim at scaling up interventions to change male

norms and behaviors. Military specific IEC materials focusing on abstinence and being faithful will be

distributed at the 23 bases and camps. The films Remember Eliphas 1 and 2 produced during COP05 and

COP06 will continue to be used to motivate soldiers to change their behaviors. A system will be developed

for the distribution in consultation with MOD/NDF.

The base commanders' authority in the military will be another advocacy opportunity for this program.

Engender Health is already training the DOD prevention partners and the MOD within the framework of the

Male Norms Initiative. Their support will be sought to provide further training to the MOD/NDF. Positive role

models for the male norms initiative among military personnel will be identified during the training. The role

models will receive more training and will be charged with advocacy in the military for gender equity. Base

commanders will also be expected to reinforce the AB messages using various opportunities available to

them, and promote services. Parades and other similar forums will be used to reinforce AB messages.

SMA will work with male circumcision (MC) partner to identify modalities for sensitization on MC. The base

commanders will be oriented on sensitizing the military on male circumcision.

Military condoms will be distributed will be distributed to all military bases and camps and will also be

distributed to all peer educators and commanders during training sessions so that they cane be further

distributed at the base level..

To ensure proper implementation of the above activities simple tools will be developed like checklists to

assess and monitor the impact of activities. Chaplains and base commanders will use these tools. A

tracking system will also be put in place to monitor referral from base commanders and chaplains to

services in the camps and bases and beyond. SMA will put in place a quality assurance system. BCC

coordinators will have the responsibility of ensuring quality assurance with the chaplains and base

commanders. Tools will establish the key messages imparted to military from chaplains and base

commanders, and through periodic assessments of all information collected from program. SMA will also

develop a work plan and monitoring and evaluation plan. These tools will review on a quarterly basis to

assess relevance and appropriateness of program. Key indicators will include number of military reached,

and the messages imparted. However informal and focus group discussions will be carried out on a

quarterly basis to assess the impact on behavior change. To ensure effective coordination and

implementation meetings will be held with the chaplains and base commanders on a quarterly basis to

communicate the progress of the program. Top leadership of the MOD/NDF will be consulted and involved

in the planning, implementation monitoring and evaluation of the program.

During FY 2008 prevention activities for high risk military personnel in support of the Ministry of Defense's

Military Action and Prevention Program (MAPP) will continue to be delivered in order to reinforce behavior

change. Peer educators will be trained in Behavior Change Communication (BCC) approaches in order to

impart BBC messages to soldiers at the bases/camps. The main objective therefore for this program area is

to increase coverage and improve quality of BCC messages to over 10,000 soldiers. The BCC activities will

be reinforced by integrating Military People Living with HIV (PLWHA). Key messages will be promotion of

consistent condom use, faithfulness and reduction of sexual partners.

SMA will also work with the male circumcision (MC) partners to ensure that MC messages are integrated in

BCC activities. Mapping of peer education activities in the camps and bases will be done, to guide quality

and coverage.

Peer education approaches initiated in FY 2007 will be strengthened and expand in COPO8. Peer

educators will be trained on how to use drama and film that depicts real life choices and dilemmas facing

soldiers in their peer education approaches. In addition, they will also be taught on using other peer

education approaches such as interpersonal communication, lectures and seminars to convey prevention

messages to ensure the maximum involvement by the soldiers in the learning process. All peer education

activities developed in FY 2007 will be reviewed including the peer education curriculum. Each of the 23

bases/camps will have at least four trained peer educators, as trainers of trainers (ToT) among which a peer

educator coordinator will be selected. Roles and responsibilities for the peer educators and coordinators will

be reviewed. HIV/AIDS Coordinators will be charged with the supervision of the peer education program in

the camps and bases

At every base or camp a support group of people living with HIV/AIDS will be established to ensure that

PLWHA benefit from all the necessary support and referral services at the bases/camps. Activities for

PLWHA will include giving testimonials during IPC sessions, and providing counseling services to other

PLWHA.

The popular BCC film Remember Eliphas 1 and 2 produced under COP05 and COP06 will continue to be

used at all bases/camps to motivate soldiers to change their behavior. Military specific prevention

information, education and communication materials such as leaflets, posters, booklets and brochures will

be adapted and distributed at all camps and bases. Materials will include issues such as alcohol abuse,

gender, condoms and STIs.

This program will offer an excellent opportunity to address gender equity, male norms and behavior.

Therefore there will be efforts to focus on changing male norms and behavior and enforcing gender equity.

EngenderHealth is already training the DOD prevention partners and the MOD within the framework of the

Male Norms Initiative in FY07. Their support will be sought to provide further training to the MOD/NDF.

Positive role models for gender equity among the base soldiers will be identified. The role models will

receive gender focused training and will be charged with advocacy of gender equity and addressing issues

related changing male norms and behavior. A gender campaign to promote male involvement in CT,

PMCTC, and ARV adherence will be accelerated during COP08 in close collaboration with the MAPP care

and treatment partner.

An Information Education and Communication (IEC) distribution plan will be developed in collaboration with

MOD/NDF and MOHSS.

During FY08, a total of 200,000 condoms will be distributed to all the 23 military bases. An average of two

service outlets at each of the 23 bases and camps and a service outlet at the REEC in Rundu will continue

to distribute military condoms. Condoms will also be sent to Namibian peacekeeping contingents together

with other information, education and communication materials. Distribution outlets will be assessed and

established in the bases and camps, to include the VCT sites, military hospitals and ART sites, the sick

bays, and the established outreach units designated. This will be done in consultation with the base

commanders. Tools will be developed to monitor distribution and supervision will be carried out by peer

education coordinators of MOD/NDF. Military condoms will also be distributed during each training session,

seminar and workshop.

To support all these activities and ensure proper implementation a Management Information System will be

developed. Information from programs through IPC, evaluation tools, peer education tools, checklist and

suggestion boxes will have to be analyzed to feed into the program.

A work plan and a monitoring and evaluation plan will be developed. Both process and impact indicators will

be monitored on a quarterly basis. While effort will be made to meet the targets for reach, assessments will

be done on a quarterly basis to assess impact of the program. These assessments will be used to identify

gaps, challenges and impact of the MAPP program.

To ensure sustainability of the MAPP program in MOD/NDF, HIV/AIDS Steering Committees will be

established at all bases and MOD headquarters. Top leadership of the MOD/NDF will be consulted and

involved in planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the program. And periodic

partnership meetings will be conducted to review the progress of the program. These activities mentioned

will enable MOD to take full ownership of the program. The preventions partners' key role in this program

will be support.

Noted April 22, 2008: Prime partner changed from Social Marketing Association to University of

Washington.

This activity continues from COP2007 and includes 2 elements: direct counseling and testing services in the

Namibian military; and (2) training, technical support and supervision to improve quality of counseling and

testing services.

This program will continue to support the Ministry of Defense's Military Action and Prevention Program

(MAPP) by providing military community counseling and testing at the existing 2 military counseling and

testing centers in Grootforntein and Rundu, two new military counseling and testing centers at the Osona

Military School and Walvis Bay Naval Base (established under COP07), the military hospitals in

Grootfontein and Rundu and expansion of two new VCT centers which will be opened at two additional

military bases (sites TBD). The slow implementation of the program did not allow for the use of mobile CT

services in the military during COP07. Therefore this activity will be implemented during COP08 to ensure

mobile coverage to all military bases/camps.

Each of the four military CT will be manned by a trained site manager, two counselors, a receptionist and a

nurse. These personnel will continue to receive training and refresher courses in order to further enhance

their CT skills and to continue to implement the CT program in line with the Ministry of Health and Social

Services National Guidelines for Counseling and Testing. The USG will also strengthen the institutional

capacity of the Ministry of Defense within the MAPP program to manage the CT program to ensure long

term sustainability.

COP08 funds will support intense activities to ensure that the number of soldiers, who have been

counseled, tested and received their test results for HIV increases from the targeted 7500 in COP07 to 9000

in COP08. The Program strives to do a 100% testing in the military subject to the concurrence of the

Ministry of Defense/Namibian Defense Force (MOD/NDF). The program supports both a VCT approach

and a provider-initiated counseling and testing approach. The program will provide pre-test counseling

services, testing with rapid test kits, post-test counseling for both HIV negative and HIV positive clients, and

referral to the new military care and treatment program for those members that test positive. Messaging on

prevention with positives and basic care will be integrated in the program, including safe sex practices such

as abstinence, fidelity with condom use; family planning; male involvement; support for disclosure of HIV

status; screening and support for STI care; reduction in alcohol abuse; the prevention of mother-to child

transmission of HIV; and basic preventive care actions such as prophylaxis for OIs, good nutritional and

hygiene practices, screening for TB, etc

A total number of 21 military counselors were trained under COP07. COP08 funds will be used to train an

additional number of military HIV/AIDS counselors in order to build the capacity for counseling and testing

services at all the 23 bases/camps. Training in CT will include leadership and supervision training for site

managers, couple counseling, prevention with positives, alcohol and STI basic counseling, and gender

based violence and empowering women and data management for the counselors. The CT data base used

to capture data by SMA during COP07 has been moved to the MOD/NDF and 2 MOD/NDF data clerks have

been trained data capturing and management. Close linkages will be kept with the MAPP care and

treatment partner in capturing data related to counseling and testing, and training the MOD/NDF data clerks

to ensure that counseling and testing data is recorded in the military health management and information

system. A MOD/NDF laboratory technologist will be trained in the analysis of tests through the National

Institute of Pathology (NIP).

The prevention partner will work very closely with the Supply Chain Management Systems (SCMS) in

procuring test kits and other medical consumables for the military counseling and testing services. Detailed

logistics on how these test kits will be distributed to the military bases/camps will be worked out between the

MOD/NDF, the prevention partner and SCMS.

Establishing performance benchmarks will be the key in maintaining quality of CT services. The existing

quality assurance tools will be reviewed with MOD/NDF in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Social

Services (MoHSS) to establish relevance and appropriateness to both the static and outreach services.

Parameters for performance will be defined to include quality of services, number of soldiers reached and

effective referral linkages.

This activity will strive to include Quality Assurance for CT in close collaboration with the MoHSS and the

Namibia Institute of Pathology (NIP). Rapid Test Quality assurance will be managed by the MOD laboratory

technologist with the support of the NIP.

Information leaflets, brochures and flyers, including information on alcohol, gender based violence and male

norms, messaging on safe sex practices including abstinence, fidelity with condom use; family planning;

male involvement; support for disclosure of HIV status; screening and support for STI care; reduction in

alcohol abuse; the prevention of mother-to child transmission of HIV; and basic preventive care actions

such as prophylaxis for OIs, good nutritional and hygiene practices, screening for TB, etc will be distributed

in CT waiting rooms. Some of these materials will be translated into one or two local languages in order to

ensure that military members who may not be fluent in English also benefit from prevention messages.