Prioritise HIV prevention: UNFPA rep

RETHABILE MOHONO

MASERU – The United Nations’ Population (UNFPA) representative to Lesotho, Dr Marc Derveeuw, has called for prioritisation of HIV prevention during the formulation of the Lesotho National Commitment on Accelerating the Promise made during the ICPD conference in Cairo, in 1994.

He expressed concern that HIV prevention seems to have fallen into the cracks while more focus is now on treatment.

This was revealed during the HIV/AIDS Stakeholders Forum in Maseru yesterday.

UNFPA further reveled that in Lesotho studies have shown that there are 13 000 new HIV infections annually.

World leaders will meet in Nairobi in November this year to review progress made since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action.

ICPD Programme of action is based on reproductive health and rights, as well as women’s empowerment and gender equality.