Stop AIDS! Keep the promise

REGIONAL WORKSHOPON HIV & AIDS and VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

11-13 MARCH 2009CAPETOWN

By NATIONAL HIV & AIDS COORDINATION

OFFICER-NAC

Powered to Conquer HIV and AIDS

Outline of Presentation

HIV & AIDS Profile in Lesotho

NSP goals, strategic objectives, progress, Challenges &way-forward on vulnerable Populations in Lesotho:

• Commercial Sex Workers• Prison Inmates

Powered to Conquer HIV and AIDS

HIV & AIDS profile in Lesotho

National HIV & AIDS Prevalence-23.2%

Generalised epidemic in Lesotho

Establishment of NAC in 2005 to provide strategic policy guidance to the multi-sectoral response to HIV & AIDS

Review process of the HIV & AIDS policy & strategic plan-2000-2004 in 2005

Development of the revised HIV & AIDS Policy and NSP-2006-2011 in 2005.

Mid-term review of the NSP ongoing.

Powered to Conquer HIV and AIDS

NSP Goals on vulnerable groups

Reduced Vulnerability to HIV infection and impact of HIV & AIDS among inmates in correctional services.

Reduced Vulnerability to HIV infection and reduced Impact of HIV & AIDS among sex workers

Powered to Conquer HIV and AIDS

NSP Objectives on vulnerable groups

To provide appropriate HIV and AIDS services to inmates at correctional services.To provide appropriate HIV & AIDS services to male & female sex workers

Powered to Conquer HIV and AIDS

Progress on vulnerable groups continued

HIV & AIDS Correctional Services policy development Commenced in 2008 & continuing.HIV & AIDS sectoral plan on inmates to follow on completion on policy development.Small scale research on situational analysis on commercial sex workers conducted by CSOs.Scale HIV & AIDS programmes on commercial sex workers initiated by CSOs e.g. CARE-Lesotho, Seventh Day Adventist Church etc

Powered to Conquer HIV and AIDS

Challenges on vulnerable groups Continued

Slow procurement of services for the development of correctional services HIV & AIDS policy-institutional bottlenecks.

Inadequate HIV & AIDS programming on commercial sex workers.

Inadequate geographical coverage of HIV & AIDS programmes for commercial sex workers.

Lack of recognition for commercial sex work by national legal instruments.

Powered to Conquer HIV and AIDS

Recommended way-forward

Simplifying procurement procedures to be favourable to procurement of services.Inclusion of other vulnerable groups in our NSP e.g. MSMs, etcIncreasing the geographical coverage of commercial sex worker interventions.Advocating for legalization of commercial sex work.

Powered to Conquer HIV and AIDS

Thank you for your attention !!