A new mobile clinic will aid women working in a garment factory in Lesotho, whose access to quality sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention services is limited.
© UNFPA Lesotho
The clinic, donated by UNFPA to the Lesotho Government, was handed over by Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Director, to the Minister of Health, Dr. ‘Molotsi Monyamane, at the Ministry Headquarters in Maseru on 19 February.
The mobile clinic is a client-oriented strategy that aims to bring quality integrated health services closer to the beneficiaries. It was developed under the Joint UNFPA/UNAIDS Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and HIV prevention services linkages programme through the SRHR/HIV Linkages Project. This is funded by the European Union, and the Governments of Sweden and Norway, and coordinated by UNFPA.
The clinic will help strengthen access to sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention services in the country. This is at the heart of what UNFPA does, said Dr. Onabanjo. She thanked the Government of Lesotho and the donor community, particularly the European Union and the Governments of Sweden and Norway, for their financial support to the SRHR/HIV Linkages Project, which provided the means to acquire the clinic.
UNFPA Representative for Lesotho, Ms. Therese Zeba Kobeane, was on hand for the handover of the life-saving equipment to the Maputsoe SDA clinic.
El Niño causes severe drought in Lesotho
Lesotho is in the grip of a terrible drought brought about by El Niño, which is affecting several countries across the East and Southern Africa region. Dr. Onabanjo said UNFPA would continue to support the countries of this region in addressing the challenges brought about by El Niño. “We have been actively compiling data on the impact of the drought, and particularly the effect on women and girls, and pregnant and lactating mothers, in order to better inform strategic responses across the region. We can only hope that this crisis will soon come to an end,” she said.
© UNFPA Lesotho
Dr. Monyamane commended the Maputsoe SDA clinic for their efficiency in and commitment to providing services, which resulted in the donation of the mobile clinic. The clinic will benefit the most vulnerable women, especially factory workers in Maputsoe.
Ms. Lebohang Mothae, Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL), said the objective was to provide services to Basotho who are in hard-to-reach areas. She described the Linkages Project as a better approach to offering a range of services simultaneously to clients.
By Amrit Bhandari
