(RED) COUNTRIES

Lesotho

Lesotho, the 'mountain kingdom', has the world's third highest HIV prevalence rate at 23.2%, with an estimated 270,000 adults and more than 10,000 children under age 15 living with HIV and AIDS1.  Women and children remain at the epicenter of the epidemic in Lesotho.  57% of adult infections occur in women.  Deaths from HIV and AIDS in Lesotho, estimated at 560 per week have left in their wake 97,000 orphans and vulnerable children.2

 

 

 

 

UNAIDS estimated that 12% of new infections in Lesotho occurred among children under age 15, and that 90% of these were due to mother-to-child transmission of HIV. In Lesotho there are currently more than 42,000 people on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and as of January 2008, 163 health facilities across the country are offering HIV counseling and testing. HIV and AIDS care and services continue to expand. However, there are up to 85,000 HIV-positive people who still need access to treatment.3

Lesotho Grant Overview

The Global Fund (RED) grant in Lesotho is designed to reduce the number of people who are HIV positive aged 15 to 49. The grant focuses on the prevention of HIV infection among youth as well as care and support of the large number of people who are already infected with HIV in Lesotho. Activities funded by the grant include programs targeting the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT); voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) centers; provision of antiretroviral treatment (ART); support for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) with educational and financial support; and HIV and AIDS prevention services to adolescent and pre-adolescent people, with a specific focus on girls.


(RED) money in Lesotho supports programs which have already:

  • Reached more than 42,000 people with antiretroviral therapy
  • Provided more than 15,000 HIV-positive pregnant women with preventative antiretroviral therapy to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission
  • Reached more than 552,000 people with HIV testing and counseling
  • Provided more than 76,000 orphans and vulnerable children with a basic package of care and support
  • Provided more than 1,800 orphans with educational support
  • Reached more than 81,000 pregnant women with HIV counseling and testing to help reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
  • Provided more than 137,000 people living with HIV and AIDS with access to community home-based care and support
  • Trained more than 3,400 health-care providers on diagnosis and management of HIV and AIDS


Photo Credit: © The Global Fund

1 Global Fund
2 UNAIDS, UNICEF children and AIDS a Stocktaking Report January 2007
3 Towards Universal Access Report 2008 WHO, UNAIDS, UNICEF