The key health challenges the country faces include an HIV and AIDS epidemic, tuberculosis, malaria, emerging non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health and environmental health. On 30 July 2012, the High Court ruled in favour of three women who sued the Government for alleged forced sterilization in State-run hospitals. It should be noted that the High Court held that those three women were not sterilized because of their HIV status, but rather that they did not give their informed consent10. The Government has adopted a National Strategic Framework for HIV and AIDS Response in Namibia 2010/11 – 2015/16, through which community participation and involvement in scaling up the national response is being encouraged. The Government strategy focuses on strengthening the capacity and management of HIV response at community level. The health sector is guided by the Ministry’s Overall Health Policy Framework11 which was revised in 2010 for the period 2010-2020. The policy is based on the tenets of primary health care approach, which include equity, inter-sectoral collaboration and community participation. The country still faces some challenges with regard to shortages of skilled and experienced health workers (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers). 16. ARTICLE 14: THE RIGHT TO PROPERTY The Agricultural (Commercial) Land Reform Act, Act No 13 of 2002, provides for the acquisition of agricultural land by the State for the purpose of land reform and for the allocation of such land to Namibian citizens who do not own or otherwise have the use of any or of adequate agricultural land, and foremost to those Namibian citizens based on affirmative action. To acquire fixed (immovable) property such as land and houses still remains a major challenge for the majority of people because of financial constraints. 10 11 L M v The Government of the Republic of Namibia Case No. 1603/2008, annexed and marked as annexure “E” 1990 revised in 1998 - 39 -

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