‘Mantšali Phakoana
Lesotho has failed to meet its target to reduce HIV/AIDS related deaths by 50 percent by 2023.
This was revealed in a report on the national performance towards achieving set HIV/AIDs targets by 2023. The report was presented by the chairperson of the parliamentary sessional select committee on HIV and AIDs, Liteboho Kompi, before the National Assembly on Wednesday this week.
According to the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan (NHASP), it was anticipated that from 2018 to 2023, Lesotho would have reduced new HIV infections by at least 50 percent from 13300.
The country was also expected to reduce transmission of HIV from mother to child by 11.3 percent to less than five percent by 2023, but it only managed a 6.4 percent decline.
Lesotho had further set a target to reduce AIDS related deaths by 50 percent from 4900 during the same 2017 to 2023 period. However, by 2021 the number had declined by only 200 deaths.
Kompi highlighted that the gap was owing to Lesotho doing little in disseminating information and educating people about HIV issues and interventions.
“This is very dangerous for the country because Basotho continue to die in massive numbers due to HIV and other diseases associated with HIV/AIDS,” she said.
She further indicated that there was also a challenge of new HIV infections, mostly among youth and young women.
Another significant setback is that adolescents and young women often have relationships with older men and therefore they are unable to negotiate for safe sex. This results in new HIV infections.
The National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan Midterm Review of 2021 has shown that Lesotho is experiencing slow progress in reducing AIDS related deaths.
According to the Lesotho Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (LePHIA) report, 2020 new HIV infections are higher in girls and women than in boys and men.
The report also shows that 80 percent of new infections are among the 15 to 34 age group. “This shows that there will be an aging population living with HIV in the country,” it notes.
New HIV infections are also high among key populations – men who have sex with other men (MSM) and transgender persons (TGs).
The National Aid Commission (NAC) says the country has made progress in reducing new HIV infections have been reduced by 55 percent.
This shows that Lesotho is well on course to achieving the target that was set for 2023 and is anticipated to have no new infections of HIV by 2030.
In Lesotho, most men are not interested to test and know their HIV status, thus more women than men know their status.
“This is very dangerous for the country because there is high possibility of infecting more women and young girls by men who are positive but not aware. It is on this matter that HIV advocacy for men is key in Lesotho, Kompi added.
“Lesotho is left behind on new technologies that are intended to prevent HIV infections irrespective of the fact that it is still experiencing new HIV infections. There is an injectable PrEP which is called long -acting Cabotegravir (CAB-LA).
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has approved the injection to be used every two months in different countries. This new technology is intended to prevent HIV infections and is very important in reducing new infections,” Kompi indicated.
In the absence of a regulatory authority whose mandate among others, is to approve drugs that circulate in the country, the Ministry of Health relies on the WHO pre-qualification of products and medicines to be used in the country. Lesotho was pre-qualified for CAB-LA by WHO in December last year and the ministry of health is anticipated to commence a pilot study prior to the implementation of the above -mentioned injection in September this year. In some countries including South Africa and Botswana, the injectable PrEP has been implemented, the report reads.
