HIV and AIDS Stakeholders will review quarterly progress during a one-day Quarterly Partnership Forum scheduled to take place at the National Convention Centre in Maseru on Monday August 24, 2009.

The Partnership Forum will draw all HIV and AIDS stakeholders from national, district and community levels together. The aim is to monitor and review implementation of the Annual Operational Plan by taking stock on all HIV and AIDS interventions and efforts in scaling up responses by all implementing partners, as well as to ensure holistic reporting on the national initiatives.

During the Forum, Umbrella Organizations and key line Ministries will therefore be expected to report on all interventions and efforts in scaling up the response within their constituencies, and presentations are expected to be in such a way that effective interventions and strategies are identified as well as necessary resource base at different stages of implementation. The forum will further review coordination mechanism in order to ensure that overlaps and gaps are identified and remedial actions initiated thereof.

NAC will also provide an overview of the country’s performance during the first quarter from April to June, while other topics to be discussed include analysis of the HIV and AIDS response that will be presented by UNAIDS. Tertiary Institutions response to HIV and AIDS will also form part of the partnership forum and will be lead by the institutions of higher learning including the National University of Lesotho, Lesotho College of Education, Centre of Accounting Studies, Lesotho Agricultural College as well as the Lerotholi Polytechnic.

The key stakeholders who will participate at the forum include representatives from Government Ministries, Civil Society, Private Sector, Development Partners and International Organizations as well as District Authorities.

The forum is a quarterly event that is established in line with the National HIV and AIDS Coordination framework to provide opportunity to monitor and review implementation of the annual operation plan, which is drawn from the national HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan.