Lesotho News

“The HIV/TB combination is probably one of the biggest challenges for health in Lesotho. 2012 is the time for a massive scale up of access to treatment for TB and HIV” -Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng, Minister of Health and Social Welfare

World TB day was commemorated this year on 24th March around the world. This years theme was “Zero TB deaths– Stop TB in my lifetime”.

Inside this issue

1. Highlights
2. World TB Awareness Week, March 2012
3. World Health Day, April 2012
4. World No Tobacco Day, May 2012
5. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Launches Decentralization of Primary Health Care, May 2012
6. STEPS Survey, June 2012
7. UN staff support blood drive on World Blood Donor Day, June 2012

WHO Country Office Lesotho Bi-Annual Newsletter

On Wednesday, 1st August, WHO Lesotho Country Representative, Dr. Jacob Mufunda, undertook a press briefing session with the national media to inform them about the recent establishment of the African Public Health Emergency Fund(APHEF). He encouraged wide publicity and sustained advocacy in support of the implementation of the resolution. The purpose of the APHEF is to facilitate the mobilizing, managing and disbursing of additional resources from Member States for responding to public health emergencies in a most efficient and timely manner.

Lesotho has the third highest HIV prevalence in the world and more than one in five adults are HIV-Positive. The impact of HIV on individuals, families and the whole nation is being felt as adults become too sick to work and children orphaned by AIDS are left to run households.

Lesotho commemorated World Blood Donor Day on 17th August in Mohale’s Hoek under this year’s global theme “Every Blood Donor is a Hero”.

World Rabies Day for 2012 was commemorated in Lesotho at Manthabiseng Convention Centre under this year’s global theme;

“Working Together to make Rabies History”.

Lesotho, often called the "Kingdom in the sky", has one of the highest rates of new tuberculosis (TB) cases in the world. The lack of health-care facilities in remote areas makes it hard for people with TB to get tested and treated, so the disease spreads quickly through communities.

Read the photo story

World TB Day was celebrated on 24th March at Botsabelo Multi–Drug Resistant (MDR)/ Extensively-Drug Resistant (XDR) TB Hospital in Maseru. This is a modern state of the art facility that reflects innovative ways in management and control of MDR/XDR TB with bed occupancy of 22, laboratory, X-ray and pharmacy units. The Hospital was established in 2006 by the Government of Lesotho in collaboration with Partners.

Currently in Lesotho there are challenges facing the health sector, one of which is a declining vaccination coverage.

Lesotho commemorated World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2012 at Mohlomi Hospital under this year’s theme “Depression, a global crisis”.

The theme offered the opportunity to focus on how Lesotho can best work together to reduce the burden of mental illness and individual sufferings resulting from depression. The celebration included a fun walk, drama and singing by staff and patients.