USAID Regional HIV/AIDS Program team, Southern Africa (based at USAID/South Africa)

Chief of the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, Ambassador Randall Tobias, visited the southern African countries of Lesotho and Swaziland in late July for the first time to see HIV/AIDS activities supported by President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and managed by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Centers for Disease Control and by the U.S. Embassies in both countries.  

These two countries are seriously affected by the spread of HIV-AIDS and, along with neighboring Botswana, suffer the highest  HIV prevalence in the world.  Ambassador Tobias met with key government officials, nongovernmental organization (NGO) and faith-based leaders in both countries to observe existing programs and meet local people receiving assistance to address AIDS prevention, counseling, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, care, support and treatment. 

Ambassador Tobias was welcomed warmly by health workers, mothers, children and community locals struggling to deal with the impact of HIV/AIDS in their congested hospitals and clinics, and on the families, communities and their futures. In Lesotho, the Honorable Minister of Health Phooko escorted Ambassador Tobias through the under-staffed and under-supplied antenatal and ART clinics, as well as the maternity and pediatric wards where 60% of all admissions are due to HIV infection. Lesotho’s First Lady introduced Ambassador Tobias to elderly women caring for several orphans in tiny shacks without basic amenities.  Swaziland’s Principal Secretary from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare followed the example set by Ambassador Tobias and tested publicly with counseling for HIV at the U.S. Government supported PSI Voluntary Counseling and Testing Center.  Ambassador Tobias complimented the government official’s bold leadership and the duo urged Swazi people across the Kingdom to also get counseled and tested at free Centers countrywide.

A lively meeting was also held with some of the leading church leaders in Swaziland, who discussed with the Ambassador and PS their views and experiences promoting behavior change in the community. Much of the discussion focused on the challenges and importance of changing norms of behavior toward greater fidelity and less occurrence of multiple concurrent partnerships, including the need to greater involve men in such efforts. 

Photos are available from rzurba@usaid.gov