Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Minister of Health Hon. Motlatsi Maqelepo says Lesotho aims to eradicate HIV/AIDS by 2030. Maqelepo was speaking at the handover report of Lesotho Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (LePHIA) 2020 to Social Cluster Portfolio Committee on Friday.
He mentioned that in 2015, the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) set a target for the entire world to reach 90-90-90 by 2020 which projected that 90% of people living with HIV will know their status of whom 90% will be on treatment and 90% be virally suppressed.
LePHIA) preliminary results unveiled earlier this month had established that the country had fared well in meeting the UNAIDS target. According to the LePHIA Lesotho is now at 90-97-92 target.
Maqelepo said the target was achievable due to improvement of clinics, which allows patients to get sustainable medication that last for three months or more.
He said they also have voluntary medical circumcision and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Prevention of Mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) which played a huge part in the results.
He announced that the fight against HIV is not yet over as they are still in a long journey and the hope is that they will have reached another stage by 2025.
Social Cluster Portfolio Committee Representative Hon. Motebang Koma said the best medication is knowledge because when people have knowledge on HIV/AIDS, they will be able to take care of themselves.
“As Social Cluster we are very excited to realize that the ministry is working very hard to protect this new generation because that is where HIV/AIDS is very strong,” he said.
He said HIV/AIDS target young people. Social Cluster Portfolio Committee Chairperson Hon. Moshoeshoe Fako said they will be confident enough to present it in front of the world owing to the positive report they received.
Fako said they need to work hard to ensure that Lesotho is able to support itself 100% on HIV/AIDS issues. “This report we are receiving today is very motivating especially after the Covid-19 pandemic which has depressed the whole world,” he said. He said health workers need to work as a team in order to suppress this virus.
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