Participants of a one-week workshop on capacity building have been urged to ensure proper planning of HIV/AIDS related activities.

Addressing the participants, consultant of the Lesotho AIDS Programme Coordinating Authority (LAPCA), Mr. Nchafatso Sello said members of District Aids Task forces (DATF's) have to know all activities undertaken by different stakeholders and put them together as their plans. He said through proper planning the DATF's could be able to facilitate and coordinate implementation of the planned activities.

Mr. Sello said DATFs' plans should be based on care of People Living With AIDS (PLWA), public education on HIV/AIDS, AIDS prevention and support of orphans. He urged the participants to make plans that correspond with the national policy so that LAPCA could be able to coordinate what the districts are doing. Some of the participants commended LAPCA for organizing the workshop, adding that since their establishment in 1998, they had been operating without understanding on their responsibilities. They said the workshop has equipped them with skills that would help to avoid duplication of efforts by different implementing agencies, as is the case.

The workshop follows observation that there was no impact on the work done by DATF's since HIV/AIDS infection seemed to be increasing even after their implementation. It is aimed at addressing the identified structural and organizational challenges and problems of the present DATF's and come up with a consensus on structure that will ensure effectiveness and efficiency in the DATF's.

29 November,2002