Local HIV/AIDS consultants and trainers have welcomed the close to M10 billion pledged to the Global Fund's efforts to fight HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The pledges, by 29 nations at a meeting in London, England, on September 6, are  intended to help countries establish comprehensive programmes to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Medical practitioner Dr 'Molotsi Monyamane said the pledge will particularly benefit Lesotho in its efforts to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and TB through a two-pronged approach of prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections.

He expressed his gratitude to Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Motloheloa Phooko, who has pledged to avail anti-retroviral drugs to private medical practitioners free of charge, in order for them to provide the drugs to the public, regardless of their location.

This will help widen patients' access to the anti-retrovirals, which until recently were a novelty enjoyed only by the well-off. Through government's partnership with private medical practitioners, it is now possible to for both parties to exchange expertise, with the Ministry of Health now able to access the more advanced facilities and infrastructure of private doctors.

According to Dr Monyamane, 56,000 people in Lesotho were estimated to be in need of anti-retrovirals in December 2004, and government had set itself a target of halving this figure within 12 months.

The Global Fund was created to finance a dramatic turn around in the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria, diseases that kill six million people globally each year.

To date, the Global Fund has committed billions to 128 countries, including Lesotho, to support aggressive interventions against all three ailments.

07 September 2005