LESOTHO

Lesotho has reduced new paediatric infections by 44% since 2009, with an estimated 1300
new child HIV infections in 2015. Lesotho currently employs the Option B+ strategy as its
national policy for preventing new HIV infections among children and keeping mothers
healthy. In 2015, 70% of pregnant women living with HIV received antiretroviral medicines.
Challenges remain in maintaining women on treatment throughout the breastfeeding
period, as the mother-to-child transmission rate of 6% at six weeks rises to 11% at the end of
breastfeeding. Paediatric treatment is also an area for continued attention. In 2015, 93% of
infants exposed to HIV received an early infant diagnosis test by two months of age, but only
56% of children living with HIV received antiretroviral therapy.

1300 7 OUT OF 10
NEW INFECTIONS AMONG CHILDREN IN 2015 PREGNANT WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV ACCESSING
ANTIRETROVIRAL MEDICINES TO PREVENT
MOTHER-TO-CHILD-TRANSMISSION OF HIV

44% 11%
DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF NEW HIV RATE OF MOTHER-TO-CHILD HIV TRANSMISSION,
INFECTIONS AMONG CHILDREN, 2009–2015 INCLUDING DURING BREASTFEEDING

NEW HIV INFECTIONS ART COVERAGE AMONG CHILDREN

AMONG CHILDREN Percentage of children (aged 0–14 years) living with HIV who have
access to antiretroviral therapy
Number of new HIV infections among children (aged 0–14 years)

2500 60

2000 50
P E R C E N TA G E

40
1500
30
1000
20
500 10

0 0
2009 2011 2013 2014 2015 2009 2011 2013 2014 2015

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COVERAGE VS. TRANSMISSION
Increasing coverage of antiretroviral medicines has translated into
decreasing rates of HIV transmission from mother to child

Coverage

56% >95% 70% 70% 70%

HIV transmission
rate from mother to
child at six weeks 9% 3% 7% 6% 6%

Final HIV transmission

rate from mother to
child, including during
breastfeeding 20% 12% 13% 11% 11%

2009 2011 2013 2014 2015

F A M I LY P L A N N I N G – U N M E T N E E D WOMEN ACQUIRING
Percentage of unmet need for family planning HIV INFECTION
The number of women (15–49 years old) acquiring HIV
14% decreased by 8% since 2009

2009 9300

Source: Demographic and Health Survey, 2014, all currently

2011 8600
married women (aged 15–49 years).

2013 8700

E A R LY I N F A N T D I A G N O S I S
2014 8700
Percentage of infants born to women living with HIV receiving
a virological test by two months of age
2015 8600
100
=1000
80
P E R C E N TA G E

60

Source: UNAIDS 2016 estimates, unless otherwise noted. Every year, countries
40
update their HIV estimates, including the historical trends of those estimates.
The 2016 results reflect updated surveillance and programme data and improved
20 models. The 2016 estimates are likely to differ to estimates produced in earlier
years and are believed to be more accurate. Paediatric antiretroviral therapy
N/A coverage is based on all children living with HIV, while in previous years it was
0
Baseline 2011 2013 2014 2015 restricted to children eligible for antiretroviral therapy.
[2009]

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