22 July 20206 by Monyane Khau

Lesotho’s Ministry of Health has allocated M1.1 billion for the procurement of health products in the 2026/27 financial year, with medicines for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) receiving the largest share at M252.6 million—a reflection of the growing pressure chronic illnesses are placing on the country’s health system.

Data from the Ministry of Health shows that NCD medicines received the highest allocation of M252,565,746.57, followed by antiretroviral therapy (ART) medicines for adults and children at M204,628,145.19. The allocation towards ARVs reflects the continued investment required to maintain HIV treatment services in Lesotho, where more than 240,000 people rely on lifelong antiretroviral therapy to manage HIV and prevent disease progression.

The Lesotho government finances 90 percent of ARV procurement, while the Global Fund will contribute the remaining 10 percent of the M204,628,145.19 allocation for the 2026/27 financial year.

Meanwhile, laboratory supplies and related products ranked third, with an allocation of M195,251,215.14, while essential medicines accounted for M188,300,091.50. Other major procurement categories include mental health medicines at M84,776,022.19 and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at M52,129,074.53.

The Ministry of Health presented the data during its appearance before Parliament’s Social Cluster Portfolio Committee on 14 July 2026, where stakeholders discussed ways to increase domestic financing for health.

The push to strengthen local funding for health programmes has gained urgency following the January 2025 withdrawal of foreign aid by United States President Donald Trump, which exposed Lesotho’s continued reliance on external support to sustain key health interventions.