The major partnership that CHAL has had over a decade and served as a lifeblood of CHAL is that with the GoL in the provision of comprehensive care based on EHP. This partnership is guided by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) whereby CHAL provides services to Basotho freely at health centres and on highly subsidized fees at hospitals in return for subvention that is computed with the agreed upon funding mechanism. This partnership does not only determine services provided by CHAL but also avails resources, technical assistance, capacity building and opportunities to contribute significantly to national health outcomes and ultimately to the general health of Basotho.
GOL – CHAL Partnership has had successes over the ten-year period. The main achievement for CHAL was the GOL provided opportunities for pursuing the Association’s mandate and contributing significantly to the national health priorities such as the Universal Health Coverage and access to services.
EGPAF implements various projects on HIV and TB care with comprehensive services including testing and treatment and care throughout the country in both CHAL and Government facilities. The total of 69 CHAL facilities (8 Hospitals and 61 health centers) currently receive support from EGPAF. The main support provided to CHAL by EGPAF is on human resources whereby an MOU was drawn to manage such support. HR support has amplified the efforts of CHAL facilities in providing HIV services and the ultimate contribution of CHAL in the reduction of the epidemic and mitigation of its impact. The EGPAF support includes 181 employees of different cadres are deployed in high volume sites.
AHF in partnership with CHAL aims to strengthen HIV & AIDS service provision in all supported CHAL sites. Through this partnership, AHF provides funding to support HIV related activities in the facilities, and the scope of support vary by site but includes human resource, Infrastructure, equipment, medical and laboratory supplies, training on HIV related issues, mentorship on comprehensive HIV care, treatment and support services, and supportive supervision for all CHAL AHF supported sites.
The support was initially directed to 7 CHAL health facilities in Maseru and Leribe and later on ( in 2019) expanded to other new 5 facilities in Maseru, Mafeteng and Berea districts. Through AHF support, CHAL facilities have managed to conduct community outreach services inclusive of educational campaigns and public gatherings, provide health education and HTS and ART services. CHAL and AHF made it possible for supported facilities to commemorate health days as a way to provide information and education and facilitate community engagement. Additionally, refresher trainings for village health workers on PMTCT and ART adherence were conducted. Opportunistic infection drugs and laboratory commodities were procured for supported facilities.
CHAL worked with AIDSFree consortium led by JSI to reach boys and men aged 20 to 49 and GVB survivors with evidence-based interventions in Maseru and Berea districts. The Consortium included IMA, WILSA and Gender Links. CHAL contributed to the initiative by strengthening post-GBV Care and Support and Mobilize faith communities to support and protect AGYW through linked community GBV prevention and norms change within communities.
To strengthen post-GBV Care and Support, CHAL was responsible for enhancing the performance of the GBV Referral and Case Management System within the CHAL network in the districts of Maseru and Berea. Therefore, CHAL in collaboration with the AIDSFree consortium supported and scaled-up the implementation of the guidelines for Clinical Management of Sexual Assault in 29 health facilities supported by CHAL in Berea and Maseru and thus (26 health centres and 3 hospitals). To this effect fifty-one (51) Health Professionals from the mentioned facilities were trained in Clinical Management of Sexual Assault.
Faith and Community Initiative (FCI) – Engaging Communities of faith to reach men and children with HIV Testing Services, Knowledge of HIV epidemic and Community Awareness
Lesotho is currently at the stage close to achieving HIV identification targets for control of HIV. However, gaps still exit among men and boys throughout the country. This population still need to be reached through targeted messages and HIV services. Therefore, CHAL and Population Services International (PSI) have partnered to reach this population with targeted messages and HIV services under Faith and Community Initiative; through the support of CDC.
With this initiative, CHAL is providing HIV testing services in five highland districts of Lesotho, namely: Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka, Butha-Buthe, Quthing and Qacha’s Nek. Our faith leaders are disseminating new messages of hope through churches, schools and among the communities. HIV services provided in the communities are mainly distribution of HIV Self-test and index and partner notification services (PNS). These services are provided at churches and mosques, targeting first time testers, high risk populations, sexual partners of index lead, highly vulnerable populations and other populations that are likely to be reached with regular HTS. Counselling services are also offered to all HIV positive clients. Newly identified people with HIV are linked to ART services.
CHAL has partnered with Jhpiego under KHANYA which is a three-year project funded by USAID to strengthen voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services. Khanya is a transitioning provision of direct service delivery (DSD) at facility and community levels to local stakeholders, hence the partnership with CHAL as a provider of health care services to nearly half of Lesotho’s population. Khanya aims to reduce the number of new HIV infections by 2025 and maintain HIV epidemic control through partnership with the Government of Lesotho and local organisations. This project is implemented in Berea, Leribe, Mafeteng, Maseru and Mohale’s Hoek Districts. CHAL will leverage its service delivery footprint and deep contextual knowledge of the health system to lead the implementation of integrated biomedical services across its facilities and scale up VMMC services to 18 facilities.
