Maseru, Lesotho
The tiny republic of Lesotho said this week it will offer a free HIV test to every one of its nearly 2 million citizens. “The main aim of the campaign is that all people above the age of 12 years living in Lesotho will know their HIV status by the end of 2007,” said the World Health Organization in a statement. Lesotho has one of the world’s highest rates of AIDS, with nearly one-third of adults infected. Yet many people refuse to get tested, fearing the stigma of a positive result. To overcome that reluctance, testers will go door-to-door and administer the tests privately in people’s homes. Lesotho’s king, Letsie III, has volunteered to go first.
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