The National Aids Commission (NAC) in collaboration with the ministry of health is today winding up a two-day national dialogue for the development of a sustainability roadmap for HIV and TB response in Maseru.
Lesotho ranks among the top 13 countries with the highest HIV burden, according to the 2020 Population-based HIV Impact reports, with approximately 324 000 adults aged 15 and older living with the virus.
However, the country has made significant strides and is currently on the path to achieving HIV epidemic control. The report says with continued efforts, Lesotho is on track to meet the 95-95-95 treatment targets by 2025.
Speaking at the opening of the dialogue, the chief executive of NAC, Lebohang Mothae, said the government is leading the country in planning for sustainability of the gains made in HIV and TB response.
“A multi-sectoral national HIV and TB sustainability working group chaired by NAC is providing technical leadership to this process. With financial and technical support fromUNAIDS, the country seeks qualified people to lead in the development of Lesotho’s HIV and TB Sustainability Roadmap,” Mothae noted.
She further explained that the purpose of this consultancy is for the individual organisations to support the government to assess aspects of the HIV and TB epidemic and response within five critical domains, and to develop an HIV and TB response sustainability roadmap.
The roadmap is set to guide the country and partners to reach the goal of ending AIDS and TB as public health threats by 2030 and to achieve long term sustainable results.