Health in Lesotho

The average life expectancy at birth in Lesotho is 53.7 years (51 years for males and 57 years for women) (2018). In 2005 life expectancy was 42.5, giving an increase of 11 years over the past 13 years.[1] Lesotho’s Human development index value for 2018 is 0.518 — which put the country in the low human development category— positioning it at 164 out of 189 countries and territories.[2]

Traditional medicine woman travelling on foot over mountain range

Health care services in Lesotho are delivered primarily by the government and the Christian Health Association of Lesotho. Access to health services is difficult for many people, especially in rural areas. The country’s health system is challenged by the relentless increase of the burden of disease brought about by AIDS, and a lack of expertise and human resources. Serious emergencies are often referred to neighbouring South Africa. The largest contribution to mortality in Lesotho are communicable diseases, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions.[3]

Health indicators

Health economy

The total expenditure on health as percentage of GDP is 10.6 (2014).[4] Out-of-pocket expenditure per capita on healthcare was $42.33 in 2014. The same year public expenditure on healthcare as percent of total healthcare expenditure 76.12%.[5]

Child health

Under 5 mortality rate is 86 per 1 000 live births (2019). Under-five mortality rate is the probability of dying between birth and exactly 5 years of age, expressed per 1,000 live births.[6] The infant mortality rate is high, in 2019 it was 66.5 (per 1,000 live births).[7]

Nutrition

Malnutrition is a major problem in Lesotho. 33.4% of children under five are moderate or severely stunted. Children born with a low birth weight (<2500 g) was in 2014 14.6% .[7]

Maternal health and family planning

Adolescent birth rate is 92.7 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (2019). Contraceptive prevalence, any method is 60.2 (% of married or in-union women of reproductive age, 15–49 years). Antenatal care coverage, (at least one visit) 95.2%. Maternal mortality ratio is very high with the number 487 (deaths per 100,000 live births). SDG goal is under 70. The proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel are 77.9%.[4]

Health system

In the most recent survey, conducted between 1997 and 2010, there were five doctors, and 62 nurses and midwives per 100,000 people.[8]

There were 117 medical facilities in Lesotha in 2019.[9]

The Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Maseru, the main secondary care centre, was closed in 2011 and replaced by a newly built hospital, the Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital, with 425 beds, constructed on a public–private partnership basis. This has produced considerably better health outcomes and more advanced medical technologies than were previously available. It has also attracted patients who could have been dealt with in primary care. More than 27,000 inpatients and nearly 350,000 outpatients were treated in 2015. The scheme absorbed an average of 34.8% of the total government recurrent budget for the health sector for 2012-15. All invasive cardiac care and cancer treatment is referred to public hospitals in Bloemfontein.[10]

Hospitals in Lesotho
Name Location Type facility Ownership Coordinates Ref
Maluti Adventist HospitalBereaMission HospitalFaith-based29.1059°S 27.95554°E / -29.1059; 27.95554 (Maluti Adventist Hospital)[9]
Seboche HospitalButha-ButheMission HospitalFaith-based28.6850393206467°S 28.4106506766422°E / -28.6850393206467; 28.4106506766422 (Seboche Hospital)[9][11]
Mamohau HospitalLeribeMission HospitalFaith-based29.107792°S 28.490226°E / -29.107792; 28.490226 (Mamohau Hospital)[9][11]
Scott Hospital HospitalMaseruMission HospitalFaith-based29.625576°S 27.506883°E / -29.625576; 27.506883 (Scott Hospital Hospital)[9][11]
St Joseph’s HospitalMaseruMission HospitalFaith-based29.451059°S 27.723139°E / -29.451059; 27.723139 (St Joseph’s Hospital)[9][11]
St James HospitalMokhotlongMission HospitalFaith-based29.2866026450759°S 29.0744239210947°E / -29.2866026450759; 29.0744239210947 (St James Hospital)[9][11]
Tebellong HospitalQacha's NekMission HospitalFaith-based30.117104°S 28.683294°E / -30.117104; 28.683294 (Tebellong Hospital)[9][11]
Paray HospitalThaba-TsekaMission HospitalFaith-based29.48841°S 28.58269°E / -29.48841; 28.58269 (Paray Hospital)[9][11]
Queen Mamohato Memorial HospitalMaseruHospitalPublic/Private29.3410696948855°S 27.5282299433817°E / -29.3410696948855; 27.5282299433817 (Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital)[9][11]
Wilies HospitalFosoHospitalPrivate29.2716832293936°S 27.5276290996774°E / -29.2716832293936; 27.5276290996774 (Wilies Hospital)[11]
Center For Equal Health Access Lesotho HospitalTeyateyanengHospitalPrivate29.1199953922775°S 27.7610883395368°E / -29.1199953922775; 27.7610883395368 (Center For Equal Health Access Lesotho Hospital)[11]
Makoanyane Military HospitalMaseruHospitalMilitary29.3342197242532°S 27.5441083585756°E / -29.3342197242532; 27.5441083585756 (Makoanyane Military Hospital)[12]
Mohlomi Mental HospitalMaseruPsychiatric hospitalPublic29.3436109274556°S 27.533757952656°E / -29.3436109274556; 27.533757952656 (Mohlomi Mental Hospital)[13]

Burden of disease

Tuberculosis

Lesotho has a very high incidence rate of tuberculosis with 665 cases per 100,000 people (2017). Treatment success rate is 77% (2016). The mortality rate is 46 per 100,000 people (2017).[14] Approximately 70% of patients with tuberculosis in Lesotho are co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus.[15]

Human Immunodeficiency Virus and AIDS
Main article: HIV/AIDS in Lesotho

Lesotho is severely afflicted by AIDS and has one of the highest infection rates in the world.[16] The rate has hovered around 25 percent since 2005, although recent trends show new infections decreasing. In 2005 there were 30,000 new infections compared to 21,000 new infections in 2016.[17] In urban areas, about 50 percent of women under 40 are infected with human immunodeficiency virus.

The country regards human immunodeficiency virus as one of its most important development issues, and the government is addressing the pandemic through its HIV/AIDS National Strategic Plan. Coverage of some key HIV/AIDS interventions has improved, including prevention of mother to child transmission and antiretroviral therapy. Prevention of mother to child transmission coverage increased from about 5 percent in 2005, to 31 percent in 2007. The roll-out of antiretroviral therapy has made good progress, with 38,586 people receiving treatment by 2008.[18]

The "Know Your Status" campaign boosted the number of people being tested for human immunodeficiency virus infection to 229,092 by the end of 2007, 12 percent of the population and three times the number tested in 2005. The program is funded by the Clinton Foundation and started in June 2006. Bill Clinton and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates visited Lesotho in July 2006 to assess its fight against AIDS.[19] As a result, the annual rate at which adults in the population who are HIV-negative become HIV-positive declined from 2.9 percent in 2005 to 2.3 percent in 2007, lowering the estimated annual number of new infections from 26,000 to 21,560. These are the first signs of a decline in the HIV epidemic.[18]

The Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS is an industry-wide program providing prevention and treatment, including ARVs when these are necessary, for the 46,000 mainly women workers in the Lesotho apparel industry. It was launched in May 2006. The program is helping to combat two of the key drivers of the HIV/AIDS epidemic: poverty and gender inequality. Surveys within the industry by ALAFA show that 43 percent of employees have HIV.[20]

Prince Harry of UK co-founded the charity Sentebale in Lesotho, for children with HIV/AIDS. The other co-founder is the Prince of Lesotho.


References
  1. "Life expectancy at birth, Lesotho". Data Worldbank. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  2. "Inequalities in Human Development in the 21st Century" (PDF). UNDP. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  3. "Health systems in Lesotho". Commonwealth Health. Commonwealth Health. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  4. "Countries: Lesotho". WHO. World Health Organisation. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  5. "Lesotho Our World in Data". Our World in Data. Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  6. "Key demographic indicators: Lesotho". Unicef. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  7. "NLiS Country Profile: Lesotho". WHO. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  8. "Health systems in Lesotho". Commonwealth Health. Commonwealth Health. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  9. "A spatial database of health facilities managed by the public health sector in sub-Saharan Africa". World Health Organization. February 11, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  10. "Lesotho Health Network Public-Private Partnership (PPP)". World Bank. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  11. "List of doctors and medical facilities in Lesotho" (PDF). US Embassy, Lesotho. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  12. "Military hospital in botched delivery". The Post. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  13. "mental hospital grapples with- overcrowding". Lethoso Times. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  14. "Lesotho Country Profile". Centers for Disease Control.
  15. "CDC Division of Global HIV & TB – Country Profile – Lesotho" (PDF). CDC. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  16. "The World Factbook" Archived 27 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine. cia.gov.
  17. "HIV and AIDS in Lesotho". AVERT. 21 July 2015. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  18. "World bank Lesotho: Country Brief". Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  19. Julian Rademeyer (16 July 2006). "Lesotho praised for fight against Aids". Sunday Times of South Africa. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  20. "Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS (ALAFA)". Archived from the original on 25 February 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.