It is quite common to find young people who are HIV-positive, but not so with elderly people, sometimes as old as 60 years. It is not that they are immune. They are not. Yet, most of the time one hears and sees young people coming forward to announce their status, but not senior citizens. And as we were to discover recently, they are there.

During a recent visit to the Kavango Region, New Era found an elderly couple, possibly one of the oldest known couples living with HIV/Aids in Namibia.

After being diagnosed and testing positive in January this year, 63-year-old Vila Amand and his wife, 61-year-old Martha Costa, have been coming every week to the Kavango Bridges of Hope in Rundu for HIV/Aids counselling.

They are among a group of 20 people infected with the virus and receving counselling at Rundu. Armand and Costa are the only two elderly HIV-positive people in this group. They share their side of the story and how they learnt about their status. The couple have been together in marriage since 1984.

"It was a surprise for both of us, because we are both Christians and respect one another," said Armand, helping his sickly-looking wife to sit on a couch.

Having come originally from neighbouring Angola many years ago, Amand was forced to leave his first wife because of the ongoing civil war at the time.

"I came into Namibia around 1983 and then married Martha," said Armand, looking affectionately at his wife.

The elderly couple have two children and grandchildren who stay with them at Kehemu informal settlement, east of Rundu.

According to the Regional Chairperson of the Kavango Bridges of Hope, Rosvita Ndumba, the couple came to the centre when they both became very ill, showing typical symptoms of the disease.

"At first they thought it was because of old age that they were becoming sick, but then I advised them to go for an HIV test. They agreed to do that in January this year and they both tested positive," said Ndumba.

The news came as a shock as both Amand and Martha say they grew up trusting each other and, according to Ndumba, "they could not ask one another who brought the virus into the marriage."

"They do not want to say whether one of them had been sleeping around or cheating because they respect each another," said Ndumba, adding that old people like to keep secrets at times.

This is not the first time such a case has reached the centre. It is reported that there are ten such cases of HIV-positive elderly people who come for support and counselling.

"There are many such cases, and the critically ill ones need food as they are already taking ARV drugs," said Ndumba.

With a deteriorating health condition, Martha was admitted to the Rundu State Hospital last week, leaving her husband to care for the grandchildren on his meagre monthly pension.