By Neo Kolane
Lesotho has accomplished a milestone by exceeding the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets set for last year after achieving a 90-97-92 experienced during the period 2017-2020.
This emerged at the release of the LePHIA 2020 Survey Summary Sheet on Wednesday this week in Maseru.
LePHIA 2020 is a household-based national survey that was conducted between December 2019 and March 2020 to measure the status of Lesotho’s national HIV response.
The summary sheet release stated that as a milestone on the path towards control of the HIV epidemic by 2030, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) set targets that by 2020, 90 percent of all people living with HIV would know their status. The other 90 percent of all people diagnosed with HIV infection would receive sustained antiretroviral therapy on treatment) while the 90 percent of all people receiving antiretroviral treatment would have viral load suppression.
In her speech, United States ambassador to Lesotho, Rebecca Gonzales recognised the incredible role played by Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso in championing the important survey for Lesotho.
She remarked that as the patron of the survey, Queen ‘Masenate was highly instrumental in supporting the important effort to measure the status of the national HIV response in the kingdom.
As a celebration to the success of LePHIA 2020 survey, Gonzales said that in the face of a global pandemic and a period of incredible strain on the country’s health systems, the survey was successfully conducted.
“We successfully conducted a second-round of HIV impact assessment and are here today to evaluate our great work. Despite the significant challenges over the last year, we forged ahead, together. Together, health teams and technical experts completed the data collection, delivered the preliminary findings and completed additional months of data analysis.
“I am most proud of the fact that LePHIA 2020 continues to demonstrate the incredible power of what can be accomplished through strong collaboration between our two nations,” Gonzales said.
The minister of health Semano Sekatle explained that in November 2020, Lesotho presented the preliminary results and got a glimpse of how far the country had gone in the control of the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
Sekatle said that despite logistical and other challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he was pleased and indeed gratified that LePHIA 2020 forged ahead to completed its work, an initiative that enabling publication of the findings.
“Our efforts towards the HIV response with the support of the development partners give us confidence that Lesotho will achieve its national HIV strategic plan targets of 95-95-95 by 2023 and also eliminate AIDS by 2030. I am confident that an AIDS free generation is possible.
“We must however continue to scale up interventions that are directed towards HIV prevention, diagnosis and retention to life saving antiretroviral treatment (ART). In addition, more work needs to be done to eliminate inequalities, stigma and discrimination within our society,” Sekatle said.
Led by the government of Lesotho through the ministry of health and the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics, LePHIA 2020 was conducted with support from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and was implemented by ICAP at Columbia University with technical assistance from the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
