The United States Agency for International Development has invested $62 million in a new project launched by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to expand HIV/AIDS care and treatment services for people in Lesotho.The five-year Providing Universal Services for HIV/AIDS Project is intended to provide resources to help grow integrated care and treatment coverage for children and adults to 80 percent by 2018 with the use of a prioritized district approach, USAID said Thursday.
“This is a vital step on the path towards universal access to HIV treatment and care for all in Lesotho,†said  Appolinaire Tiam, EGPAF-Lesotho country director.
USAID aims to help increase the deployment of HIV/AIDS care and treatment services across all health facilities in the districts of Maseru, Mohale’s Hoek and Mafeteng, and sustain services in the districts of Butha-Buthe, Mokhotlong and Thaba-Tseka.
The project also seeks to bring the transmission rate of HIV from mother to child to less than 5 percent and EGPAF plans to use data and evidence to steer course of action and identify problems.
EGPAF will work with the Lesotho Ministry of Health, Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation – Lesotho, Lesotho Network of AIDS Service Organizations and the Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association to implement the project.
