Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MASERU66
2007-02-13 12:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Maseru
Cable title:  

PEPFAR/ICAP HANDOVER CEREMONY AT QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Tags:  KHIV EAID PREL SOCI MCC LT 
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VZCZCXRO5990
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHRN
DE RUEHMR #0066 0441246
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 131246Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY MASERU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2609
INFO RUEHC/USAID WASHDC
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
RUEHMR/AMEMBASSY MASERU 2956
UNCLAS MASERU 000066 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S; PRETORIA FOR USAID/RHAP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KHIV EAID PREL SOCI MCC LT
SUBJECT: PEPFAR/ICAP HANDOVER CEREMONY AT QUEEN ELIZABETH II
HOSPITAL

---------
Summary
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UNCLAS MASERU 000066

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/S; PRETORIA FOR USAID/RHAP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KHIV EAID PREL SOCI MCC LT
SUBJECT: PEPFAR/ICAP HANDOVER CEREMONY AT QUEEN ELIZABETH II
HOSPITAL

--------------
Summary
--------------

1. Ambassador Perry and Minister of Health Phooko were the
keynote speakers at a February 8, 2007 ceremony to hand-over
renovated buildings at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Maseru,
Lesotho. The building renovations were funded by the US
Government under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
program. Columbia University's International Center for AIDS
Programs (ICAP) headed the project as part of their assistance
to the Government of Lesotho's (GOL) national program to prevent
mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. Columbia University
and the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)
formed the Partnership for Family Centered HIV Services in 2005
to assist scale-up of PMTCT in Lesotho. The hand-over ceremony
was well attended by high level officials including the CEO of
the National AIDS Commission, senior officers in the Ministry of
Health, and heads of other agencies working on HIV/AIDS. Since
the inception of "The Partnership" program, the number of
mothers treated has grown to over 125 and nearly 600 HIV exposed
infants received Nevirapine prophylaxis.

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Successful Handover of Renovated Hospital Buildings
-------------- -

2. The Minister of Health and Ambassador June Carter Perry
highlighted the U.S. Government-supported program to prevent
maternal-infant transmission of HIV at a ceremony to hand over
renovated clinic buildings in the country's capital Maseru on
February 8, 2007. The renovated buildings are part of Lesotho's
main tertiary care center, the dilapidated Queen Elizabeth II
Hospital. The renovations include the partitioning of the
maternal and child health clinic, the construction of the HIV
clinic waiting area, and the partitioning of the canteen to
create a lecture or a meeting room for staff. Guests at the
ceremony took a walking tour of the facilities and listened to
key note speeches by the Minister of Health and the US
Ambassador. The hand-over ceremony was well attended by high
level officials including the CEO of the National AIDS
Commission, senior officers in the Ministry of Health, and heads
of other agencies working on HIV/AIDS

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Government of Lesotho Committed to Improving People's Health
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3. The Minister of Health and Social Welfare Dr. Phooko stated
the objectives of the renovations are to improve patient flow,
ensure privacy and to assist facilitate a patient-friendly
environment. He said the renovated building of Queen II hospital
is aimed at improving the quality of PMTCT for pregnant women in
the hospital. He indicated that the hospital is left with a big
challenge of universal access to health treatment, care and
support to community members who work with HIV/AIDS patients.
The Minister also said he hoped the Millennium Challenge
Account, if agreed, would provide support in the area of human
capacity building and human resource development.

-------------- --------------
US Government Assistance to Prevent Mother to Child Transmission
of HIV
-------------- --------------

4. Ambassador June Carter Perry said women and their offspring
are literally the lifeblood of the Basotho nation, saying the
renovations and the commission of the buildings are a visible,
tangible acknowledgement that the international partnership
members, in collaboration with the GOL, will not allow the
mothers and children of Lesotho to become sick and die without
doing all they can to stop it. Ambassador Perry explained that
the Lesotho Partnership for Family Centered HIV Programs is a
U.S. government-funded initiative that has been supporting the
implementation of family centered HIV/AIDS care and treatment
programs for exactly one year. The Partnership is formed by
Columbia University's International Centre for AIDS Care &
Treatment Programs (ICAP),and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric
AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) and is funded under the President's
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Concrete evidence of the
Partnership's success is visible in the increase of mothers on
treatment which rose from one in early 2006 to 46 in early 2007.
In addition, 576 infants received Nevirapine prophylaxis under
the Partnership's Initiative.

PERRY