Community Councils, Gateway to Scaling-up Fight Against HIV AIDS

Records reveal and in effect attest to the fact that since the first AIDS case in the country was reported in 1986, Adult HIV prevalence has sky-rocketed from around 4 % in 1993 to 29 % in 2004; One in every three Basotho adults is in fact infected with HIV virus; 29 000 die annually; 100 000 orphans left wanting in a population of over just two million. 

Available statistics reflect that Basotho’s life expectancy dropped to 40 years during 2005 against the expected increase to 60 years in 2003 and as a result Lesotho is now conspicuous as the country with the third highest HIV prevalence in the whole-wide-world!! 

But as unfortunate as these things happen, there is still a section of our society that stigmatises HIV and AIDS and surrounds it with all kind of myths and misconceptions, sometimes just to suit their ridiculous motives. 

Some dudes out there still refuse to retreat from unsafe sexual relationships if not totally abstaining!  

The statistics point out in no uncertain terms to the fact that HIV/AIDS is firing from all cylinders. Yet to some of the people these figures are just numbers, until lightning hits closer to home if not actually inside the home! It’s only when they will wake up and smell the coffee! 

There is some merit amidst the madness, however, as along the continuing efforts by the various good Samaritans in the fight against this deadly virus, the Ministry of Local Government together with partners UNDP, GTZ and many others including members of the public have not lagged behind.  

A recent one-day workshop was engaged in quiet productive deliberations and shared experiences on how best to avoid duplication of efforts and redundancy of resources through multiple and parallel approaches and institutions and rather adopt the holistic and integrated approach of utilising Community Councils as the Gateway to fighting the scourge of HIV/AIDS successfully.   

By their nature as the structure of local government nearest to the people at the grass-roots, where the close involvement and participation in formulating plans to improve people livelihoods, prioritising among competing demands, allocating resources on the basis of those priorities, Community Councils are indeed ideal and realistically indigenous planning tools in providing a basis for a systematic response to the pandemic. 

Quiet productive suggestions and contributions transpired during the workshop and will be reflected in this column in the future. Trust me this approach got many tongues wagging!! 

Therefore let us indeed turn the crisis into an opportunity, the problem into a challenge and the frustration into fulfilment as it should not mean to those living with this virus that they have signed their death warrants!! 

Local Government for us all!!  

21 September 2005