Lack of revenue could sink anti-AIDS policy

Lesotho's lack of a "sound revenue base" could render its well-drafted anti-AIDS policy meaningless, a new report has found. Responding to the epidemic without a meaningful national economy would be a "formidable challenge" for Lesotho's policymakers, the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) said in it latest report. Research shows that the small mountain kingdom is in the grip of an HIV/AIDS emergency, with an estimated three out of every 10 people infected with the virus, including 60 percent of the country's workforce. "Foreign aid and the proper use of it will be critical resources in the country's anti-AIDS campaign ... Lesotho will respond to the challenges of its HIV/AIDS crisis if foreign aid pledges are fulfilled, and if the project is fully managed," the report concluded. More details: www.iss.org.za