Relief for health sector

By: Mohloai Mpesi

THE United States government has renewed its commitment to strengthening Lesotho’s health sector by investing over M6.2 billion in health delivery services.

The investment was announced on Wednesday at Mpilo Botique Hotel during the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the US and Lesotho — designed to advance the American First Global Health Strategy.

Launched in September this year, the America First Global Health Strategy aims to enhance the US leadership in global health while prioritizing American safety, economic resilience and international partnerships.

The two governments signed a five year, USD$364 million bilateral health MoU. Through this agreement, the State Department, working with Congress, intends to provide up M3.9 billion over the next five years to support Lesotho’s efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, while bolstering the health workforce, data systems, and disease surveillance and outbreak response. As part of the MOU, the Government of Lesotho intends to invest M2.2 billion in its domestic HIV/AIDS response.

Meanwhile, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, Thomas Hines, said the MoU will serve as a blueprint for the next five years of partnership, describing it as a joint commitment to building “a resilient, self-reliant and endurable health system for the Basotho people”.

For his part, Minister of Health Selibe Mochoboroane, said this is a transformative MoU that outlines and strengthens the partnership, collaboration in the health system, and their joint efforts to combat the HIV and TB pandemics. Mr Mochoboroane said the agreement is a testament to a partnership that has, for nearly two decades, saved over 280,000 Basotho lives.