The Lesotho Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (LePHIA) handed over a 2016/2017 final report on HIV/AIDS prevalence in Lesotho, to Her Majesty Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso in Maseru last week.

When presenting the report Dr Mphu Ramatlapeng from Ministry of Health, said the estimated HIV prevalence among children aged between zero and fourteen in Lesotho is 2.1%.

She said 25.6% of adults between the ages of fifteen and fifty-nine in Lesotho are living with HIV, and this amounts to a total of around 306 000 people.

Dr Ramatlapeng further indicated that in this age group, HIV is more common among females with 30.4%, than males with 20.8%.

In her presentation she stated that 1.1% of adults aged between fifteen and fifty-nine, are newly infected with HIV each year in Lesotho, and new HIV infections are higher among females with 1.22% than among males with 2.65%.

Dr Ramatlapeng also said the annual incidence was highest among men aged between thirty-five and forty-nine with 2.65%, and also among adolescent girls and young women aged between fifteen and twenty-four with 1.49%.

She further announced that Lesotho has made substantial progress towards the UNAIDS target of 90-90-90 (LePHIAA1 reveals 81-92-88).

According to the report HIV prevalence and incidence in Lesotho remains high affecting more women than men and adolescent girls and young women have 15 times higher incidence than their male counterparts.

The report also shows that young people especially males, remain at higher risk of acquiring HIV, due to high rates of early sexual debut and limited knowledge of HIV prevention.