Development of notification policy in Namibia

On 21 April, 1999, the Namibian press reported that the government was going to declare AIDS a notifiable disease. This announcement sparked much debate about the role of confidentiality in a sound public health approach to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. It also became apparent that in Namibia people's understanding of the principle of confidentiality varies widely. Many seem to confuse the concepts of secrecy and confidentiality. They see preserving confidentiality about HIV/AIDS information as strengthening the "veil of secrecy" that surrounds HIV, reinforcing stigma and undermining efforts to control the spread of HIV. A consultative process, initiated by Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS, led to the formulation of a much needed policy framework for reporting and notification of HIV/AIDS. A task force was established to identify, discuss and report on national issues, policies and experiences that could inform the discussion on HIV reporting and confidentiality.