The OHAfrica program is based at the HIV/AIDS treatment centre at Tšepong Clinic in Leribe District. With the help of local staff, the OHAfrica team provides HIV testing, counselling and antiretroviral (ARV) drug treatment to the largest volume of HIV/AIDS patients in Lesotho. Current initiatives of OHAfrica include:

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District Roll-Out of HIV Testing and ARV Treatment
Know Your Status Campaign
People Living With HIV/AIDS Support Group
Food Program at Tšepong
Training and Capacity Building

District Roll-Out of HIV Testing and ARV Treatment

The OHAfrica team and local staff at Tšepong Clinic are working with 21 primary health care centres in the Leribe District to support the national decentralization of HIV care. HIV services are now available at health centres throughout the district. Two OHAfrica team members work full time with all health care centres to support HIV testing and pre-HAART care, and to help develop their HIV care programs.

HIV testing and counselling are now routinely available at all 21 centres, while 12 centres offer pre-ARV care, including CD4 counts. ARV therapy is available at the Tšepong Clinic and also at 6 primary care centres throughout the district.

Know Your Status Campaign

In December 2005, the Lesotho government announced the launch of a nationwide Know Your Status campaign, which encourages HIV testing for everyone in Lesotho, and trains community-based workers in implementation of the program. The campaign is currently underway in several districts in Lesotho, including the Leribe District where the OHAfrica project is based.

People Living With HIV/AIDS Support Group

OHAfrica provides technical assistance to Phelisanang Bophelong, a local HIV/AIDS support group, in the development of a district-wide ARV adherence training and support program. OHAfrica also helped the group develop a proposal for project funding from PACT/USAID.

Food Program at Tšepong

OHAfrica staff recently worked with Motebang Hospital and the World Food Program to set up a supplementary food distribution program for HIV patients in Leribe who are eligible for, or are taking ARVs. The food program is open to patients who have food insecurity issues. The program has been in place since December 2006.

Training and Capacity Building

Since 2006, OHAfrica has collaborated with the Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Lesotho STI, HIV & AIDS Directorate to design and implement district-wide training on HIV care for Lesotho’s health care workers. Workshops are based on the World Health Organization’s Integrated Management of Adolescent and Adult Illnesses training modules.

OHAfrica also partnered with the William J. Clinton Foundation to implement a mentorship program in Leribe district and other parts of Lesotho. Along with two Clinton Foundation mentors, OHAfrica team members have led several training workshops at primary care centres, and created mentorship placements at clinics and hospitals throughout Lesotho.