Mission to improve anti-AIDS capacity

A new World Bank mission will focus on Lesotho's humanitarian crisis and building the capacity of local institutions to tackle HIV/AIDS and the country's drought-induced food shortages. During the recent launch of the mission, the Bank said there was a definite need to improve the capacity of local anti-AIDS organisations. The head of the Bank's HIV/AIDS Capacity Building and Technical Assistance Project for Lesotho, Julie McLaughlin, told reporters: "There are a number of groups who want to work on HIV/AIDS, but fail because they cannot write compelling proposals, and who cannot yet be relied upon to see that results are reached." The mission is a joint undertaking of various government ministries, along with the Global AIDS Fund portfolio manager for Lesotho, UN agencies, and the Development Cooperation of Ireland, which is a major contributor to the country.