WINDHOEK: The United States’ Department of Defense on Friday donated healthcare-related materials and equipment worth N.dollars 445 500 to the Military Action and Prevention Programme (MAPP) of the Ministry of Defence here.

The donation represents a joint Namibian/American effort to further enhance the MAPP’s goals of reducing the transmission of HIV/AIDS amongst Namibian Defence Force (NDF) members; promoting safer sexual behaviour through prevention, education and information; counselling and testing; male circumcision; care and treatment; as well as the distribution of condoms amongst military personnel.

The donated equipment and materials include 10 Giant Upland bicycles for home-based care, six wheelchairs, laptops, cervical cancer screening equipment, art materials, TB programme equipment and information materials in various languages.

Accepting the donation at the Peter Mweshihange Health Centre at the Suiderhof Military Base, the Director of Defence Health Services, Brigadier -General Dr. Sophia Ndeitunga assured the donors that the equipment will be put to good use for the benefit of all members of the NDF, particularly those in its Home-Based care programme.

“As for the Namibian Defence’s HIV/AIDS Coordinators, I would like you to make sure that these valuable equipment is distributed properly, used purposefully and checked periodically in order to rule out their misuse, loss, unnecessary damage and possible theft,” stressed Ndeitunga.

She noted that the donation is not the first of its kind from the United States of America as that Government has been providing assistance to the NDF in many instances, including military vehicles.