Lesotho News

Maseru—The Ministry of Health, with technical and financial support from the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office and the WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), conducted a comprehensive review and optimization of Environmental Surveillance (ES) sites across Lesotho. The mission was undertaken with the participation of a WHO AFRO-deployed expert, Dr. Daudi Manyanga, VPDs Surveillance Officer, who provided technical guidance throughout the assessment process.

Maseru—Lesotho is taking decisive steps to confront a growing health challenge, the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Maseru—To address the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries (NCDIs), the Ministry of Health, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), NCDI Poverty Network, and other partners, launched a National Multi-sectoral NCDIs Coordinating Mechanism. The high-level event brought together key stakeholders from across sectors, marking a significant milestone in Lesotho’s commitment to strengthening its response to NCDIs.

Maseru—In a bid to strengthen coordination between human and animal health sectors, Lesotho’s Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Food Security, and Environment in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), convened a three-day National Bridging Workshop in Maseru District.

Mohale’s Hoek—The Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), has successfully conducted a Typhoid After Action Review (AAR) in Mohale’s Hoek district. This important exercise is part of the International Health Regulations (IHR) monitoring framework, designed to evaluate the effectiveness of preparedness and response to public health emergencies.

This is the first AAR conducted in Lesotho, marking a milestone in the country’s commitment to implementing the IHR monitoring framework and strengthening national health security.

Butha Buthe—The Ministry of Health hosted a colourful national event in Butha Buthe District to commemorate World Blood Day, honouring voluntary blood donors, under the inspiring theme, "Give Blood, Give Hope - Together we save lives".

Maseru—In a significant move to reduce preventable maternal and perinatal deaths, the Ministry of Health (MoH), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNFPA, UNICEF, and other partners, initiated the development, national validation, and Training of Trainers (ToT) on the new Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) guidelines.

Leribe – To address the severe impact of parasitic worm infections on children's health, nutrition, and education, the Ministry of Health in Lesotho, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), has initiated steps to re-establish its Mass Drug Administration (MDA) program for Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STH) through the annual administration of albendazole tablets to target both preschool-aged children (1–5 years) and school-aged children (6–15 years).

Maseru – Lesotho has become the first nation in the WHO African Region to pilot the Afro Influenza (AFFLU) surveillance platform, a cutting-edge initiative aimed at boosting the country's health surveillance system. This platform, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the African region as an adaptation of the Eastern Mediterranean (EMFLU) Influenza surveillance version, is designed to enhance the collection, management, and analysis of both aggregate and case-based data on influenza and other respiratory viruses (ORVs).