Mathatisi Sebusi
AS the World commemorates World Aids Day tomorrow (Friday December 1), Lesotho will join the celebration with pride after making huge progress towards achieving the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 95 95 95 target.
The 95 95 95 global targets states that by 2030, 95 percent of people living with HIV will be knowing their HIV status, and the 95 percent are put on treatment while 95 percent of people on treatment would have their viral load suppressed.
This was said on Monday this week by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Limpho Tau, while addressing a media training workshop intended to build the capacity of media practitioners on latest trends in HIV/AIDS, dissemination of the National HIV /AIDS Strategic Plan 2023/24, 2027/28, as well as to highlight the World AIDS Day 2023.
Mr Tau said Lesotho had succeeded in ensuring that 95 percent of its people knew their HIV status, 91 percent of the people who knew their status were put on treatment, while 98 percent of people on treatment had their viral load suppressed.
He attributed the achievement to concerted efforts by the government, development partners and communities across the country aimed at saving the lives of Basotho, hence this years’ theme “Let Communities Lead” in the HIV Response.
Mr Tau said it was through different groups of people and communities that the country had been able to make the progress “through reaching even people at the hard-to-reach areas” due to Lesotho’s mountainous terrain.
He however warned Basotho that HIV still existed and that there were new infections being recorded daily, with some Basotho dying from AIDS related illnesses.
Mr Tau called for strengthened efforts and determination from the whole country in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
He said that the government, through the HIV/AID Strategic Plan being launched tomorrow, had committed to ending AIDS by 2030, to ensure that Lesotho was HIV resilient.
He added that the government had already bought ARVs and had additionally been providing primary health care services free of charge.
He further noted that the government was committed to supporting all stakeholders in the fight against HIV in order to reach all Basotho and afford them the needed health services.
According to the 2019 Lesotho Global AIDS Response Country Progress Report, 330 000 people were living with HIV, thus putting the country at an HIV prevalence rate of adults at 22.7 percent.
