Renthia Kaimbi
In 1999, a mandatory HIV test before a boxing match changed Bernard Kamatoto’s life.
The positive result ended his boxing career, but 25 years later he stands as a national and global HIV advocate.
As he marks 19 years on antiretroviral treatment, his message remains one of strength and survival.
“HIV is not a death sentence. I am here, living proof that HIV is not the end; it is a chapter that can be lived with courage, medication, and love,” Kamatoto expressed.
Kamatoto shared his story with the Windhoek Observer as Namibia commemorated World AIDS Day in Otjiwarongo yesterday, where health minister Dr Esperance Luvindao officiated the event.
He said his journey reflects how far HIV prevention and treatment have come.
“Since my diagnosis in 1999, HIV prevention and treatment have advanced significantly,” he told the Windhoek Observer.
He highlighted the growing use of PrEP, the availability of simpler one-pill-a-day treatments and the science supporting Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).
This means a person who stays on treatment and achieves an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit the virus.
“We can truly end the epidemic. The last 25 years has been a huge journey… I am excited for the next five years, as we get closer to ending the epidemic by 2030,” he said.
His optimism is rooted in the global UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
However, civil society leaders at the commemoration event warned that the progress is under threat. The executive director of the Namibia Network of AIDS Service Organisations (NANASO), Sandie Tjaronda, said Namibia must confront clear signs of strain.
He said years of disruptions, including health emergencies and political shifts, have weakened public confidence in the health system and created uncertainty about access to essential medicines and services.
Tjaronda said shrinking civic space is one of the most serious challenges, limiting communities’ ability to speak up for their rights.
He noted that global strategies expect community-led interventions to drive the final phase of the HIV response, yet these same interventions are now facing pressure.
He highlighted the role of community-led monitoring and social contracting, which help communities identify gaps in service delivery and work with the government to fix them. He said these programmes are central to ensuring quality of care as Namibia aims to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Tjaronda warned that major global donors are reducing or shifting funds to other priorities, placing pressure on African countries transitioning to domestically funded health systems.
While this shift shows progress, he said it exposes inequalities and threatens decades of gains if not handled carefully.
He said community-led programmes such as support for antiretroviral treatment, PrEP, mobile screenings, viral load monitoring, support groups and condom distribution are often the first to be affected by funding cuts. Weakening these services, he said, undermines the entire response.
Despite these concerns, Tjaronda expressed confidence in Namibia’s resilience.
He said strong community networks and civil society movements helped the country survive the early years of the epidemic and will be essential now.
“We must now mobilise that same strength and vigour to protect our progress in the face of donor fatigue,” he said.
He called for stronger domestic funding, better cooperation between communities and government, and a renewed commitment to keeping HIV programmes locally led and based on evidence.
He urged leaders to protect the progress already made and to respond to new challenges, including cholera outbreaks and a shifting global funding landscape.
