Lesotho faces uphill battle

2004-09-16 13:17

Maseru - Lesotho has scored several social policy successes in the 10 years since the Cairo conference on population and development, but problems remain, the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) office in Maseru said.

Successes included formulating a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and the country's long-term plan dubbed "Vision 2020" for socio-economic development.

The UNPFA disclosed this at the launch of the UN's State of World Population 2004 report.

The UNPFA said Lesotho scored considerable successes in providing Nevirapine to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and the fight against HIV/Aids.

'Positive results'

"Through these initiatives, a lot of positive results were realised. However, the HIV and Aids pandemic has undermined all the gains in the maternal mortality, infant and child under five mortality. Gender-based violence is on the increase, particularly child rape," the UNPFA said.

The drought that has hit the country for three successive years seriously affected household food security and exacerbated malnutrition.

Unemployment caused partly by the retrenchment of Basotho men in South Africa mines has further negatively affected household incomes.

"Rural-to-urban migration has also increased, leading to over-stretching of resources as well as undermining the principle of the family."

Lesotho has not got men involved in reproductive health as the Cairo conference hoped.

Need for doctors

The UNPFA report indicates that unsuitable production and consumption methods still persist and arable land continues to be turned into residential land. Environmental degradation is on the increase and available resources are not enough to satisfy the needs of the growing population.

The population of Lesotho is 2.2 million, but only nine percent of the country is arable land.

The numbers of doctors, nurses and hospital beds is less than the population needs.

However, the UNPFA report says there are opportunities ahead as the economy is likely to grow at 3.6 percent, 3.9 percent and four percent for the next three years respectively.

The national income is expected to rise by one percentage point above population growth.

- SAPA