In Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, the HIV and AIDS epidemic has taken an especially heavy toll.
Steadily, this small country is making progress. Pact’s efforts in Eswatini are among interventions that have contributed to a dramatic reduction in new HIV infections here.
Since 2005, Pact’s capacity development experts have been working to strengthen local nonprofits and government agencies working to help people affected by HIV and AIDS and to stop the disease’s spread. By improving these organizations’ governance, administration, financial management, resource development, program implementation, and monitoring and evaluation processes, Pact has helped ensure a robust local response to the epidemic.
Pact recently successfully closed the Insika ya Kusasa project, which supported the government in accelerating Eswatini’s progress toward the 95-95-95 targets and sustainable HIV epidemic control by preventing new infections among two key groups – orphans and vulnerable children and adolescent girls and young women. With support from Pact, local organizations are now leading the way in the country’s HIV response.
Pact has also played a significant role in helping Eswatini respond to Covid-19. In the earliest days of the pandemic, we helped vulnerable families to prevent the spread of Covid-19. As vaccines became available, we helped launch a mobile app and public campaigns to combat misinformation and vaccine hesitancy and to improve access to vaccines, significantly boosting uptake here.