1. LESOTHO CASE STUDY

2. GENERAL STATS Landlocked country surrounded by South Africa Population : 2.074 million Life expectancy : 48.84 year Second highest HIV/AIDS prevalence in the world : 23% 40% of population living below the poverty line (Human development indices) 360,000 people living with HIV/AIDS GNI per capita: $1,350 Male literacy rate is only at 72%, whereas Female literacy rate is at 92%.

3. HIV/AIDS IN LESOTHO 42% of people who need treatment do not take it This is largely due to the stigma that comes with HIV as well as a lack of access. Lesotho is largely a small, village based nation, and lacks infrastructure, contributing to the lack of services for the treatment of HIV/AIDS Of the 360,000 that have HIV/AIDS, over 190,000 are women.

4. FACTORS AFFECTING THE DISTRIBUTION/SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS IN LESOTHO SocialStigma, Gender Inequality HistoricMen not being educated. EducationLack thereof, sex ed EconomicPoverty PoliticalLack of Government reaction until 2003/04 TechnologicalLack of infrastructure/services

5. NATIONAL RESPONSE The Government of Lesotho has taken concrete actions to address the epidemic through the declaration of HIV/AIDS as a national disaster, development of the National AIDS Strategic Plan. The National AIDS Commission of Lesotho has been created to combat the spread and lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS.

6. NAC (NATIONAL AIDS COMMISSION) - LESOTHO National AIDS Commission (NAC) is a statutory body established by the Government of Lesotho to be responsible for the development of strategies and programmes for controlling and combating HIV and AIDS in Lesotho. Strategies include: HIV workplace strategies (Including prevention and treatment services) Supply of anti-retroviral drugs. Education about HIV/AIDS Community based organisations providing education. The NAC is largely funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, UNICEF and UNAIDS.

7. UNAIDS Providing HIV testing to over 50,000 people and funding to the NAC for education, ARV drugs and workplace strategies.

8. EFFECTIVENESS Strategies have had varying degrees of success, with workplace initiatives providing services to 80-90% of workers previously without either ARV drugs or counselling, but with the overall prevalence of HIV/AIDS still at 23.3%, the third highest rate in the world. Considering that the 25-29 age group in 2003 had a world-high prevalence rate of over 39% however, these rates have substantially decreased.