Tšepong Clinic

Tšepong Clinic is one of the busiest public HIV/AIDS treatment centres in Lesotho. On average, Tšepong staff treat over 2,000 patients each month.  Approximately 300 people receive HIV counseling and testing for the first time, and 100 new patients start ARV treatment therapy each month.

The clinic now operates with a full complement of 30 staff including physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, technicians, interpreters, cleaners, and administrative support staff serving over 10,000 patients in their care.

With the help of your donations, the work of OHAfrica and Tšepong  continues to expand. In 2006, Tšepong Clinic began the roll out HIV testing and treatment programs to community-based health care centres across the Leribe District. Partnered with the World Health Organization and the Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the OHAfrica team organized district-wide HIV training sessions for local primary care workers, and continues to provide ongoing training and support to community based nurses at 26 primary care centres.

HIV testing and counselling are now available at 21 health centres in Leribe, and ARV drugs are being provided to thousands of patients at local clinics. To date over 4,300 patients have been enrolled on ARV treatment at 13 community based health centres. This decentralization of care eases the pressure of patient volume at Tšepong and allows patients to access HIV treatment close to home.

OHAfrica also assists Phelisanang Bophelong, a local HIV/AIDS support group, in running HIV prevention and education programs, and providing ARV drug adherence support and counseling to Tšepong patients . Phelisanang Bophelong means “Live Together in Life” in the Sesotho language.
OHAfrica staff and volunteers from Canada along with local staff at Tšepong are focused on capacity-building support for local health care providers and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Lesotho’s HIV/AIDS program.

Current initiatives of OHAfrica include:

District Roll-Out of HIV Testing and ARV Treatment

The OHAfrica team and local staff at Tšepong Clinic are working with 26 primary health care centres in the Leribe District to support the national decentralization of HIV care. HIV services are now available at health centres throughout the district. Tšepong staff work full time with all health care centres to support HIV testing and pre-HAART care, and to help develop their HIV care programs.
HIV testing and counselling are now routinely available at all 21 centres, while 12 centres offer pre-ARV care, including CD4 counts. ARV therapy is available at the Tšepong Clinic and also at 13 primary care centres throughout the district.

People Living With HIV/AIDS Support Group

OHAfrica provides technical assistance to Phelisanang Bophelong, a local HIV/AIDS support group, in the development of a district-wide ARV adherence training and support program. OHAfrica also helped the group develop a proposal for project funding from PACT/USAID.

Food Program at Tšepong

OHAfrica is working with the Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare as well as UNICEF to ensure that vulnerable patients and children have access to nutritional and food support programs.

Training and Capacity Building

Since 2006, OHAfrica has collaborated with the Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Lesotho STI, HIV & AIDS Directorate to design and implement district-wide training on HIV care for Lesotho’s health care workers. Workshops are based on the World Health Organization’s Integrated Management of Adolescent and Adult Illnesses training modules.

OHAfrica also partnered with the William J. Clinton Foundation to implement a mentorship program in Leribe district and other parts of Lesotho. Along with two Clinton Foundation mentors, OHAfrica team members have led several training workshops at primary care centres, and created mentorship placements at clinics and hospitals throughout Lesotho.