MASERU – The Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, formally received the new Country Director and Representative of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, marking a fresh chapter in the country’s long standing partnership with the UN agency.
The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations accepted the Letters of Appointment of Mr Alankar Malviya during a presentation ceremony held in Maseru. Malviya takes over from Ms Pepukai Chukikwa and will operate from the UNAIDS Multi Country Office in Pretoria, which oversees programmes in Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa.
The appointment places Malviya at the centre of coordinating the regional HIV response across the three countries at a time when Southern Africa continues to carry a significant share of the global HIV burden.
Lesotho’s government used the occasion to reiterate the importance of its collaboration with UNAIDS in steering and strengthening the national HIV response. The country has recorded notable gains in recent years, including reaching the globally recognised 95 95 95 treatment targets in 2024. These targets aim to ensure that 95 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed receive sustained treatment and 95 percent of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.
Officials said sustaining that progress remains critical as Lesotho works towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, in line with international commitments.
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