Bereng Mpaki

ANDREW Kara, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Southern Africa Mission’s director, has just completed a four-day official visit to Lesotho.

Mr Kara was “observing the US’ development partnerships with Lesotho” according to a US Embassy statement.

He left the country on Friday afternoon after meeting government representatives among other partners. He also met other USAID partners in the areas of environment, democracy and governance, human rights and economic growth.

“The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Southern Africa Mission Director Mr Andrew Andy Kara arrived in Lesotho for his first official visit to the Mountain Kingdom,” the US Embassy said.

“Mr Karas met with members of the government of the Kingdom of Lesotho and USAID Lesotho’s partners to observe progress of the US government’s development partnership with Lesotho which works to ensure a brighter future for the nation’s citizens.”

US Ambassador to Lesotho, Maria Brewer, said Mr Kara’s first visit to Lesotho was strengthening the US commitment in its partnerships with Lesotho.

“Mr Kara’s visit to Lesotho underscores our commitment to the development partnership we have built with Lesotho so that we can all live more prosperous and healthier lives.”

The USAID, through the United States Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), is supporting the government of Lesotho’s goal for an AIDS-free generation.

This is being done through health care services that provide HIV and AIDS awareness programmes to prevent new infections and transmissions, counselling and testing, and treatment and adherence to medications for those who are already infected with HIV.

USAID has been actively working with Lesotho’s Heath ministry to keep the citizens of Lesotho safe from Covid-19 by providing vaccines and other resources, such as oxygen in hospitals and improvements in the cold supply chain to store vaccines appropriately.

In March this year, Ms Brewer launched the Global Vax initiative in Lesotho, in which USAID is spending an additional $6, 2 million to address Covid-19.

Global VAX is a US government effort to contribute to the global goal to vaccinate 70 percent of the world population against Covid-19 in 2022. Through Global VAX, the US government will surge support and resources to increase access to Covid-19 vaccines in an initial group of countries in sub–Saharan Africa, including Lesotho.