EpiC Lesotho Semi-Annual Progress Report (April to September 2021)

Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aims to reduce the HIV epidemic in Lesotho by providing HIV prevention and treatment services to key populations, including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender individuals. In the first six months of 2021, the EpiC project in Lesotho surpassed all annual targets except for case identification among female sex workers. A total of 13,323 key populations were reached with HIV prevention services, exceeding the annual target of 10,155. The project also identified 337 new HIV-positive key populations, reaching 86.6% of the annual target. The EpiC project implemented a risk assessment screening tool to improve case identification, particularly among men who have sex with men. This tool helped identify higher-risk individuals and HIV case findings, and was used to segment HIV-negative key populations for prioritized PrEP readiness counseling and initiation. The project also introduced online strategies, including self-assessment and appointment booking, which showed positive results. The EpiC team continued to collaborate with clinical partners, sharing data for programmatic benefits. The project also explored potential entrepreneurial skill trainings for key populations with other PEPFAR partners. The EpiC team completed the recruitment of five new program team members and provided orientations. Despite challenges, including low case identification among female sex workers and men who have sex with men, the EpiC project made significant progress in 2021. The project implemented institutionalized and routinized EPOA strategies for both men who have sex with men and female sex workers, and optimized the implementation of risk network referral, index testing, and online strategies for all populations. The Decentralized Drug Distribution (DDD) activities implemented by the EpiC project in Lesotho aimed to enroll 10,000 patients into the BonoloMeds program. By the end of the reporting period, a total of 1,117 patients were enrolled, with 327 males and 790 females. The project implemented a central dispensing unit infrastructure and process setup, and streamlined pick-up point logistics and parcel tracking using an eRx mobile application. The EpiC project also implemented cross-border activities to identify and reconnect HIV/AIDS patients who had been interrupted in treatment in Lesotho and suspected to be in South Africa. The project mined data in Lesotho and matched it with data in South Africa using electronic data collection tools and data dashboards. The EpiC project in Lesotho made significant progress in 2021, exceeding annual targets for key populations and implementing innovative strategies to improve case identification and treatment adherence. The project continues to collaborate with clinical partners and explore new opportunities to reduce the HIV epidemic in Lesotho.