The Ministry of Health in Lesotho intends to provide better quality healthcare and advanced medical technologies, thus enabling better health outcomes in Lesotho for a larger number of patients.

Lesotho Health Issues

The main health priorities include strengthening the National Health System, family and Community Health; tackling HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.
National HIV care and treatment programme along with efforts to reduce cases co-existing with tuberculosis have been initiated throughout Lesotho. The aim also lies in strengthening the capacity of the government and civil society to address the problems of growing number of vulnerable children and orphans. Some of formidable public health challenges Lesotho is facing are poor public health institutions and services.

Lesotho Health System

Lesotho’s national health plan includes reform process aimed at ensuring an efficient, effective, sustainable and affordable delivery system for health services. The key components or policy and institutional reform include human resources reform, financial reform, decentralization of district health services and improved coordination of donor efforts. Institutional strengthening, financial management, budgetary planning, human resource and organizational development, maintenance of infrastructure and operation, decentralized implementation and cost-effective district health delivery systems needs to be improved. The Government of Lesotho through public-private partnership initiative intends to improve the quality of care, transform operations, modify facilities and build sustainable public health system. Numerous private and public organizations or international agencies assist in funding for health services in Lesotho.
Ministry of Health in Lesotho allocates budget promotion of public health and maintain the country’s health provision. The national AIDS programme to control the spread of HIV/AIDS is an integrated prevention and control approach involving ministerial, government and non-governmental organizations. The Ministries in collaboration with non-governmental, donors and private agencies maintains a coordinated, comprehensive and integrated health system with a network of clinics, hospitals and health centres for basic healthcare facilities. Health related activities in Lesotho include development of human resources; strengthening health management; AIDS control programmes; mental health improvements; sanitation awareness; disaster preparedness; safe motherhood and family health. The health services cover technical aspects of research, laboratory work, health education, professional standards, environmental health, disease prevention and control. The National Drug Services Organization procures and distributes drugs provided by Department of Pharmaceutical Services throughout the health system.
The Lesotho Health Service Areas (HSA) delivers healthcare services through government or mission hospitals. The central hospital and clinics with resident nurses, nurse practitioners or doctors covers large number of village health centres. Community health workers are trained extending healthcare to individual villages. Lesotho’s health system embraces preventive, curative and rehabilitative services by volunteer community health workers in clinics, health centres and referral hospitals. The Health workers include village health workers, health assistants, clinicians, traditional birth attendants, nurses or nursing assistants and distribution agents. The qualified staff of district hospitals, local clinics and health centres help in family planning consultations, immunization of children, post-natal and basic curative services. Lesotho Flying Doctor Service delivers emergency healthcare medical services to remote areas of the country. A doctor, pharmacy technician, dentist and a public health nurse is included in the visiting health team.

Online Course in Public health (MPH)

James Lind Institute (JLI) provides an online program – Master in Public Health (MPH) which shall help in building a successful career in public health practice.
For more information please visit: www.jliedu.com