This paper examines the impact of the weakening of the extended family on the education of double orphans in Lesotho through in-depth interviews with participants from 3 of the 10 districts in Lesotho. The findings reveal that in Lesotho the extended family has not yet disintegrated as the literature suggests. However, it shows signs of rupturing, as many orphans reported that they are being ta...

BACKGROUND The World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS recommend early infant male circumcision (EIMC) as a component of male circumcision programs in countries with high HIV prevalence and low circumcision rates. Lesotho began incorporating EIMC into routine maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) services in 2013 with funding from the United States Agen...

Since the closure of the Lesotho abattoir in 2003, only imported meat can be legally sold. However, it was estimated in 2007 that 80% of the meat sold at butcheries comes from informal slaughter. The aim of this study was to investigate the situation. The number and location of informal butcheries in Lesotho (n = 143) were recorded and mapped using Geographical Information Systems. Observations...

Lesotho has the third highest prevalence of HIV in the world with an estimated 23% of the adult population infected. At least 70% of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) have presented with oral manifestation of HIV as the first sign of the disease. Oral health workers regularly encounter patients presenting with oral lesions associated with HIV disease and therefore need to have adequate knowle...

background: in-depth knowledge of antibiotic principles is widely considered a necessary condition for appropriate prescribing of antibiotics. the study aimed at determining the impact of healthcare providers’ level of knowledge in bacteriology and principles of antibiotic prescribing on their abilities to prescribe antibiotics appropriately. methods: a structured questionnaire survey targeting...

BACKGROUND The HPTN 052 study demonstrated a 96% reduction in HIV transmission in discordant couples using antiretroviral therapy (ART). OBJECTIVE To predict the epidemic impact of treating HIV-discordant couples to prevent transmission. DESIGN Mathematical modeling to predict incidence reduction and the number of infections prevented. METHODS Demographic and epidemiological data from Gha...

SETTING Drug resistance is an increasing threat to tuberculosis (TB) control worldwide. The World Health Organization advises monitoring for drug resistance, with either ongoing surveillance or periodic surveys. METHODS The antituberculosis drug resistance survey was conducted in Lesotho in 2008-2009. Basic demographic and TB history information was collected from individuals with positive sp...

Introduction. This paper reports a study on informationseeking behaviour of prospective geography teachers at the National University of Lesotho based on their experiences during teaching practice. It is part of a larger doctoral study on information needs and information-seeking patterns of secondary level geography teachers in Lesotho. Method. The study used a questionnaire survey of the pros...

Lesotho has been implementing financial management reforms, including performance-based budgeting (PBB) since 2005 in an effort to increase accountability, transparency and effectiveness in governance, yet little is known about how these efforts are affecting the health sector. Supported by several development partners and $24 million in external resources, the PBB reform is intended to strengt...

The Lesotho mole-rat is a social subterranean rodent that occurs at altitude in the Drakensberg mountain range. As a consequence of living permanently underground these animals rarely if ever are exposed to light. The visual system of African mole-rats is particularly regressed whereas the circadian system is proportionately conserved. This study investigated the locomotor activity patterns of ...