Ntsoaki Motaung
Rethabile Mohloki, a youth advocate living with HIV, emphasised the critical role of young people in sustaining the gains made in the fight against HIV in Lesotho.
Mohloki, speaking on behalf of the youth at a recent consensus meeting for the HIV and TB response sustainability roadmap, highlighted challenges such as limited dissemination of HIV-related information.
“The channels through which HIV messages are disseminated are not easily accessible to the youth,” Mohloki said, noting that many young people have limited knowledge about HIV, including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and the U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable) campaign.
He also addressed the stigma faced by youth living with HIV, which often impacts their ability to engage in intimate relationships due to the fear of disclosing their HIV status.
“Many people struggle with disclosing their status, leading to re-infections and transmission of the disease,” he added.
Mohloki recommended intensified efforts to target information dissemination towards the youth, especially girls and young women, to empower them with knowledge and better health choices.
Nthabeleng Ntšekalle, another youth representative, pointed out that factors such as poverty and family responsibilities contributed to risky behaviours, especially among girls and young women.
“In child-headed families, girls often take on the responsibility of providing for their families, which may lead them to engage in risky sexual behaviours,” she explained.
Ntšekalle stressed the need for empowered girls who can negotiate condom use and assert their sexual rights. “Girls and women should be informed and empowered to make their own decisions. If they agree to risky behaviors, it should be because they want to, not because they are forced by circumstances,” she said.
She also highlighted cultural barriers, where some young girls and women avoid using preventative measures like condoms for fear of being questioned by elders. “We need peer-led interventions, as many young people are more comfortable being attended to by their peers,” she said.
Ntšekalle proposed a vision for a more accessible and sustainable health system. “We need a simplified, integrated health system that connects health services not just in hospitals but also in clinics and health posts. Free Wi-Fi in health facilities, youth health supporters in the community, and better infrastructure for real-time responses are crucial,” she said.
Furthermore, she called for increased youth research and collaboration with higher learning institutions to help address health challenges, particularly in the manufacturing of sustainable health commodities.
Ntšekalle also urged that youth-led organisations be better supported with information, financial, and technical resources, including stipends for young people leading community work.
Deputy Prime Minister Chief Nthomeng Majara, speaking at the meeting, stressed the government’s commitment to improving health outcomes for all Basotho.
“We are committed to ensuring that every Mosotho lives a healthy life with access to proper nutrition,” Majara said, calling for a multi-sectorial approach to achieve sustainability, with support from the Ministry of Finance to secure necessary resources.
UNAIDS Country Director Pepukai Chikukwa also underscored the importance of sustainability in the HIV response, warning that despite progress, the risk of HIV resurgence remains.
“The HIV fight is not over,” she said, referencing a UNAIDS report that showed rising HIV infections in some regions. “If we let our guard down, there’s a risk of resurgence,” she cautioned, expressing hope that the remaining gaps in the HIV response could be closed by 2025.
