The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) handed over a vehicle worth M300, 000 to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare at the function held at UN House premises on Friday.

Handing over the Nissan vehicle, UNDP Acting Resident Representative, Mr. Ernest Fausther said the vehicle is a mobile HIV testing and counseling unit with a social mobilisation component intended to disseminate messages on HIV/AIDS to the community.

He said the donation is meant to assist the Ministry and the government in further implementing the Know Your Status (KYS) campaign. He said UNDP is an active partner in the response to accelerate the fight against spread of HIV/AIDS.

Accepting the donation, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Mphu Ramatlapeng extended her gratitude to UNDP, stating that the vehicle came at an opportune time when they are working hard to sensitise the community to know their status.

The minister assured that they will make good use of the vehicle and use it beneficially for the entire Basotho community particularly those that lack means of transport to report to the nearest clinics and hospitals.

Meanwhile, UNDP HIV/AIDS Program Officer, Mrs. Puleng Letsie said the vehicle will further be used to conduct health activities to promote child immunisation campaigns.

Mrs. Letsie pointed that through the use of the vehicle, more people will be reached to know their HIV/AIDS status, noting that even the communities living in the remotest areas of the country, where it is difficult to access transport means.

She said that about 300,000 people know their HIV/AIDS status in the country, and that numbers are expected to increase as the campaign continues to other parts of the country such as Leribe, where an accelerated mass campaign on KYS is continuing.

This was the second donation of its kind to be donated to the Ministry of Health, as in 2004, UNDP donated a mobile clinic vehicle fitted with CD 4 count machine.

Source: LENA 14/12/2007