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 staff including physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, a pharmacist, technicians, interpreters, cleaners, and administrative support staff serving over 10,000 patients in their care.

In the past, with the help of your donations, the joint work of Lesotho Ministry of Health and OHAfrica and Tšepong grew to its present size. In 2006, Tšepong Clinic began to 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 initiated ongoing training and support to community-based nurses at more than 10 rural 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 assisted Phelisanang Bophelong, a local HIV/AIDS support group, in running HIV prevention and education programs, and providing ARV drug adherence support and counselling 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 focus on capacity-building support for local health care providers and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Lesotho’s HIV/AIDS program.

Exciting Developments in 2010

The Lesotho Ministry of Health announced that it was now prepared to assume full management and staffing responsibilities at Tšepong Clinic. Their partnership with OHAfrica, initiated in 2004, has now completed its five-year term to assist in the development and management of a sustainable HIV/AIDS clinic in cooperation with the Ministry of Health in Lesotho. This is a wonderful success story and an excellent example of the ultimate goal of all such projects. Both partners are to be congratulated on such an achievement in just five short years.