New Namibian archbishop says AIDS, corruption threaten country

Published: 2004-11-18

WINDHOEK, Namibia (CNS) -- Corruption and AIDS are Namibia's biggest threats, Archbishop Liborius Nashenda of Windhoek said at his Nov. 14 installation. "One sometimes gets the impression that we are like a defenseless boxer facing the twin specters of the (AIDS) pandemic and corruption," Archbishop Nashenda said. He warned that the economic effects of AIDS and corruption could seriously harm the country, which has an HIV infection rate above 20 percent in a country of 1.8 million people. Regarding AIDS, Archbishop Nashenda said, "Despite our best efforts, it does not seem that the message has gotten through, that the challenge is being taken seriously, even though the numbers crowding into our hospitals and clinics are ever increasing. "We are entering into a period where the specter of death is not only being felt by our people, but is said to have a severe effect on our economic well-being, shaving a couple of points from our gross domestic product."

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