Walvis Bay Wellness Centre opens

December 1 – World Aids Day – saw the launch of the Walvis Bay Wellness Centre in Namibia, a North Star Foundation initiative that will serve truck drivers, seafarers, fishermen and the local community. It’s the foundation’s eighth centre operational in seven African countries, funded by the Canadian government through the Canadian International Development Agency. The community of Walvis Bay and the Walvis Bay Corridor Group also played key roles in the its development. “The support from industry and stakeholders has been exceptional,” says Paul Matthew, operations director: Africa of NSF. “West Bank Transport laid on a 50-ton crane to help move the container to its correct location while Rennies Consolidated supplied the sleepers and the equipment to move them. And on the day of the container move, managers from West Bank and Rennies were on hand to show their support for the project and to ensure that the work was done quickly and efficiently.” It is predicted by Family Health International that by 2021 close to 23 000 people will have died from AIDS-related diseases in Walvis Bay. The population will be 23% smaller than it should have been by 2011.