PSI-Lesotho during the COVID-19 pandemic

PSI Lesotho has been working on a campaign to support the Ministry of Health in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on Social Behavioural Change communication and the awareness has been done through social media and print media. An intensive distribution of IEC material has been going on, with coverage in all the 10 districts of Lesotho since June 2020 to date, with the aim of creating awareness on COVID-19, fostering adherence to COVID-19 regulations and protocols. PSI Lesotho has recently embarked on creating awareness and sensitizing Basotho on the importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19 virus to curb the spread of the virus in communities.

Department of Defence

DOD project is currently funded for 4 years and it has just started its 3rd year in October 2020. Under the DOD-funded program, PSI/Lesotho is operating in partnership with the Lesotho Defence Force to reduce the number of new HIV infections and other sexually transmitted infections among active military personnel, their families, and the civilian communities they serve through the provision of VMMC services since 2012. Supporting and strengthening of the LDF’s ART program in an effort to assist the military to reach the 90 90 90 goal through the training and provision of additional clinical staff to enhance and scale up service delivery. The scale up has included the expansion of the SRH program to include cancer screening in addition to PMTCT services in the financial year 2020 and the inclusion of the Family planning services in its portfolio in the FY 2021.

DREAMS

PSI Lesotho, with the generosity of our donors, implementing partners, and Basotho as a whole, remains committed to serving Basotho and helping the government of Lesotho achieve positive health outcomes for all Basotho for many more years to come. The organisation has thus transitioned and focused its efforts on serving the vulnerable AGYW population through the DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) partnership, an initiative aimed at reducing rates of HIV among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in the highest HIV burden countries. The target group is from age 10 to 24 years and the primary services offered to them by PSI Lesotho are HIV counselling and testing, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services and provision of condoms.

FCI Project background

PSI under the Faith Communities Initiative (FCI) has sub-awarded CHAL in December 2019 through PEPFAR, funded by Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The objective of the project is to find men and youth living with HIV in the five (5) highlands districts of Lesotho (Butha-Buthe, Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka, Qacha’s Nek and Quthing). The two main activities of the project are to engage with interfaith district religious leaders to disseminate new messages of hope through houses of worship, schools and communities and secondly, the implementation of community targeted HTS, linkage and retention in both government and CHAL health facilities in the 5 districts.