World AIDS Day in Leribe, 2007

With all respect to His Majesty the King,
The Right Honorable the Prime Minister,
The Honorable Minister of Health and Social Welfare,
Other Ministers and Government Officials Present,
All Partners in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS,
The Courageous and Inspirational People of Lesotho
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the development partners in Lesotho – including the United Nations family, Ireland, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and GTZ – it is an honor to address you all today. At the outset, we would like to pay homage, as well as tribute, to the thousands of people living with HIV in Lesotho and the thousands more affected by the epidemic.  In the sheer face of hardship and many challenges, these courageous human beings continue to be resilient and to fight the impact of this disease on a daily basis.  They are the true leaders in the fight against AIDS and we need to nurture their leadership.

Today, we commend the Government of Lesotho as well the vast number of civil society organizations and international partners who have joined hands and come together in an attempt to build a comprehensive response to HIV in the country.  Today’s theme of “Stop Aids: Take the Lead” is an appropriate one for Lesotho.  Leadership is emerging from all corners of the country and from all walks of life.  Pastors and priests are beginning to talk about HIV prevention; many private sector employers are beginning to address HIV in the workplace.  ART care is increasingly available to those in need, and many HIV positive pregnant women and their male partners are reaping the benefits of improved access to PMTCT programs.  And, we have recently learned that Lesotho’s $33 million proposal to the Global Fund to assist orphans and vulnerable children has been accepted.   Congratulations, Lesotho.

Thousands of individuals are showing leadership by coming out and taking an HIV test in Lesotho, as shown in many parts of the country through the “Know Your Status” campaign.  Even as they are dying, many young people are breaking the barriers of stigma by asking that their family not hide their cause of death in funeral ceremonies.  Elders are taking care of the orphans, often when they have little for themselves.  In many cases children themselves, even as they themselves are growing, are ensuring that their younger siblings are looked after.  The courage shown by thousands of women as they bear the burden of HIV, and by the scores of Lesotho’s health workers and care givers all over the country, exemplifies resolve to tackle the scourge of this epidemic.  Leadership can help make their task less onerous.  Leadership can help nurture and multiply the number of people involved in the fight against HIV.  In this regard, we would like to congratulate the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for the leadership and commitment it has shown to date.

Lesotho’s fight against HIV is not yet over.  The number of new HIV infections continues to rise, just as the numbers of people dying from AIDS each day and those being orphaned continue to rise.  The threat of HIV is further exacerbated with increasing incidence of TB, particularly as the country faces the imminent threat of multi-drug resistance TB and extreme drug resistant TB.  In addition, severe drought this year has further eroded the ability of many to obtain and maintain the critical health necessary in resisting infectious disease.

As increasing globalization and market competitiveness poses additional challenges to employment, especially in the garment sector, it is perhaps easy in such trying times to regard the HIV epidemic as yet another of the development problems facing Lesotho. AIDS, however, is an exceptional problem and has to be dealt in an exceptional way.  The factors that led to the declaration of AIDS as a national emergency in 2000 by the Government of Lesotho are still important realities that must be addressed as we come to the close of 2007.

Achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010, a goal agreed to by Lesotho, requires leadership from all levels of society.  The full implementation of the “Three Ones” principles — One agreed-upon AIDS action framework, One national AIDS coordinating authority, and One agreed-upon monitoring and evaluation framework —  form the cornerstone of a good national response to HIV.  The establishment of the National AIDS Committee (NAC), the adoption of the National Strategic plan, and the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework are key milestones that Lesotho passed exactly a year ago.  However, these achievements only have meaning if there is follow-up. Some stakeholders perceive that there has been slowness in implementation of many plans and policies.

The critical need at this point of time is for all stakeholders among government, civil society, and development partners to accept and encourage the role of the NAC and the national policy instruments.  Our energies have to be channeled in helping the National AIDS Commission deliver on the promise on which it was created.

Development partners urge total collaboration, cooperation, and transparency among the NAC, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Ministry of Finance’s Global Fund Coordination Unit.  Anything less than such a productive network will shortchange the people of Lesotho.  The development partners remain firm in our belief that the NAC is the national coordinating body and we look to the NAC to function as such.  Furthermore, the “Three Ones” principles call for democratic oversight by legislative authorities, and regular information sharing and reporting, as well as transparency, on the part of the NAC and all stakeholders.

Lesotho is also showing leadership by beginning the process of developing comprehensive AIDS legislation.  The open consultations that have been held with a large number of constituencies, including the development partners, are a shining example of leadership and inclusion.  We hope the AIDS bill fully enshrines human rights principles and yet remains responsive to tackling the hyper-endemic nature of the HIV epidemic in Lesotho.  We look forward to further consultations and the eventual adoption of the bill. 

We also congratulate the NAC and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship Affairs in extending the concept of leadership to the grassroots through their new “Essential Services Package” initiative.  This initiative encourages all of the country’s 128 Community Councils to deliver core HIV and AIDS services as a priority at the community level.  This initiative will hopefully help break the barriers of stigma, increase demand for and utilization of services, and strengthen regular monitoring of the response.

Lesotho must be congratulated on making increased funding available to tackle the HIV epidemic.  We, the development partners, also have worked together to ensure that external aid given to Lesotho is coordinated and that we minimize transaction costs and collaborate with the National AIDS Commission to help “make the money work.”  The world has seen significant new pledges to fight HIV at the global level by development partners to multilateral institutions, such as the Global Fund and the UN, and through direct bilateral resources.  If we can “think big” in a coordinated way, there is no reason why Lesotho’s national response cannot be fully funded within the next few years.

          Lesotho's political, traditional, and socio-economic leadership must at all times be in the forefront of fighting the disease.  As development partners, we have full empathy with those who suffer from HIV/AIDS.  Most of us, however, are only here for brief sojourns.  The disease, on the other hand, remains with many for a lifetime.  Thus, we need to see in-country leadership at all levels every day, every week, every month, every year – and for many years to come.   At the end of the day, Basotho leadership will make the real difference in winning the battle against HIV/AIDS – the international community can not replace you.

Let me conclude by saying that the development partners in Lesotho remain committed to supporting the national response as well as all the key stakeholders in the fight against HIV.  We will maximize our various comparative advantages, but we will also remain partners in delivering assistance as a “Team of One.”  Let us all show leadership and keep the promise to stop AIDS.

Thank you.  Khotso, Pula, Nala.