With an HIV prevalence of 23% among the adult population, Lesotho has one of the most severe epidemics in the world; and it has been well-acknowledged that the foremost constraint to attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is the scourge of HIV & AIDS.  

UNDP’s contribution to the response includes a broad range of technical support, capacity development and advocacy activities working with key stakeholders and partners.  Initiatives supported by UNDP include providing technical support to the Lesotho Network of People living with HIV & AIDS (LENEPWHA); capacity development of civil society organisations on community leadership and capacity enhancement in responding to HIV & AIDS; addressing HIV & AIDS in the context of sexual diversity; as well as addressing gender based violence through supporting the One-Stop Centre for victims and survivors of violence.

UNDP is one of the UN partners within the Joint UN Team on AIDS (JUNTA) which supports the implementation of the Joint UN Programme of Support on AIDS (JUPSA). This programme is aligned with the Government of Lesotho National HIV & AIDS Strategic Plan (NSP 2006-2011) and has four areas of focus, which support the four Strategic Focus areas of the NSP:

1. Supportive environment - creating an enabling environment for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support with good governance and gender equality;

2. Prevention - access to basic social services for prevention;

3. Treatment, care and support - Access to basic social services for treatment, care and support; and

4. Impact Mitigation - Access to basic social services with economic growth & poverty reduction;

While UNDP will support all of these areas in the Joint Programme of Support, our programmatic focus is on strengthening a Supportive Environment to respond to HIV & AIDS.

UNDP Lesotho is also tasked with effectively addressing the links between Gender and HIV & AIDS through a combination of specific, focused actions on gender equality as well as ensuring that other broader actions on HIV & AIDS are gender sensitive.

In relation to Gender equality and Women’s empowerment, UNDP is a member of the multi-sectoral Gender Technical Team and Forum. 

To combat gender based violence in Lesotho, jointly with UNFPA, UNDP Lesotho supports the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports and Recreation through a project which aims to develop evidence based national policy and legislative framework to protect survivors/ victims of gender based violence (GBV) and prevent GBV in Lesotho; to establish a well functioning One-Stop Centre in Lesotho for victims and survivors of violence; to develop multi-disciplinary empowerment services and strategies on Gender, HIV and related issues; and to raise public awareness and strengthen social mobilization against abuse and gender based violence.