The laboratory staff said this during Global Fund grants assets verification held for laboratories and ART centers in hospitals throughout the country from August 17 to 21, 2009.

The Quthing Laboratory Technician Lisemelo Ntainyane said their lab used to leak especially during rainy days and the dripping water damaged the roof and the lab equipment.

“Thank you Global Fund for refurbishing our laboratory with new roof and extending our lab whereby now we have more space for lab office, patients’ waiting room, TB testing lab and other rooms for other tests,” she added.

“Through Global Fund support we have two microscopists in our laboratory to help us with TB related tests so that the few staff can now concentrate to HIV related tests as well as other diseases. We are really happy because our job has become more manageable and the quality of our services have definitely improved,” said Ntainyane.

The lab staff from all visited laboratories said they received lab shoes and masks to protect them from hazardous diseases and therefore they feel much safer and know that there is someone out there who care about their welfare and that is Global Fund.

The visited laboratories were found with enough reagents and consumables for conducting their tests effectively saying that they now have all their equipment to deliver services faster and accurately and no more experiencing out-of-stock problems.

The refurbishment of laboratory infrastructure, procuring of equipment and supplies necessary for TB diagnostic for all laboratories in the country and strengthening capacity of laboratory personnel are among few activities of the implementation of Global Fund Round 6 grant whose goal is to reduce morbidity and mortality due to TB.

Refurbished laboratories under this grant are Quthing, Mafeteng and Queen Elizabeth II hospitals while extended laboratories are Mafeteng and Quthing whereby Queen Elizabeth was extended with the assistance of Partners In Health (PIH).

Through Global Fund Round 2 & 6 grants, the Ministry of Health was able to engage 30 microscopists, 10 and 20 respectively, to improve TB diagnosis and monitoring for early detection and enhancing treatment success rate for TB.

The major achievement of Global Fund support to National TB Program include establishment of 18 microscopic centers in 18 Government and Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL) hospitals country wide. Following this milestone, the total of 1,907 new sputum positive TB cases were detected as of June 2009. Among those detected TB cases, 1,786 were HIV positive and received Cotrimoxazole therapy whereby 1,370 were successful treated and cured.

It can be concluded that the Global Fund assistance has played an important role in Implementing the Lesotho National TB/HIV strategic plan, 2008 – 2012, whose vision is to provide comprehensive, client-oriented prevention, care and support services for the benefit of people living with HIV/AIDS and TB in the country.