NANASO was created in 1991 as a Welfare organization. It is a national non governmental organization, operating as a non-profit making network providing services to non governmental organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations and Faith based organization actively involved in the field of HIV/AIDS. Its aim is to strengthen these institutions to optimally maximize their potential in order to effectively address the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Namibia and to advocate and lobby on their behalf on issues of common interest.

The primary role of NANASO as a network organization is to act as a conduit between the network members, paid up members and other stakeholders such as:

-    International civil society organizations and institutions such as the International Council of AIDS Service Organization (ICASO), Africa Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ACASO), Southern African Network of AIDS Service Organizations (SANASO) and Southern African for AIDS (SAfAIDS).

-    UN agencies;  and various development partners

-    Namibian government institutions in particular the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, National Aids Coordinating  Program (NACOP) and Regional AIDS Coordinating Committees (RACOC).

-    Local umbrella bodies and institutions such as  the Namibian NGO Forum (NANGOF), Namibia Business Coalition on AIDS (NABCOA), Joint Consultative Council (JCC – National umbrella body of NGOs and private sector institutions that are targeting Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector in the country, Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) and Lironga Eparu, an organization for people living positively with HIV.

NANASO aims to work with all NGOs, CBOs and FBOs operating in Namibia in the field if HIV/AIDS. All its activities and programmes are designed for and open to all.