10 September 2025 by Limpho Sello

Est. Read: 4min

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Basotho, let us come together to celebrate a historic milestone for our beloved nation of 2.4 million. In 2025, every child born at one health facility—Ntšekhe Hospital—has survived the most fragile period of life: the first 28 days. This is a record-breaking achievement for a country that only recently faced neonatal mortality rates of 10.3 percent in 2023 and 8.4 percent in 2024.

Neonatal mortality is explained as the death of a newborn within the first 28 days of life. The news that from January to August 2025 not a single newborn has died at Ntšekhe Hospital within the first 28 days of life is even more remarkable when compared to the 2023/24 Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey (LDHS), which reported a neonatal mortality rate of 26 deaths per 1,000 live births.

This heartwarming news was shared by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Lesotho during a September 6, 2025 meeting meant to showcase and understand the impact of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ funding on the improvement of maternal and neonatal health services in Lesotho.

The meeting was also meant to assess the project’s key achievements and its contribution to national health outcomes and priorities in Lesotho. The $535,964 funding is part of a two-year collaboration with Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, UNICEF Lesotho and the Ministry of Health running from October 2023 to October 2025, is saving lives and giving families hope.

The announcement that no newborn child has died this year came on September 6, 2025, at Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH) – Lesotho’s only referral hospital, on the outskirts of the capital, Maseru.

Sharing the milestone with visible pride during the QMMH meeting, Thabiso Lekhotsa, a nurse midwife and a Health Officer with UNICEF Lesotho, said: There is one facility just from January this year till today (September 6), they have zero maternal death and zero neonatal mortality.”

He added: “Previously, in 2023, the neonatal mortality rate stood at 10.27. By 2024, it had dropped to 8.45. In 2025, it is zero. This gives us confidence and keeps us going,” he added.

Lekhotsa explained that after receiving USD 535,964 in funding from the Church, UNICEF immediately convened a meeting that brought together partners, training institutions, professional associations, and regulatory bodies.

“We made sure to sit down, understand the problem, and together develop a mission and vision so that as we worked, we worked with the same purpose,” he said.

He said the process led to the launch of a project titled Improving Maternal and Neonatal Health Services in Lesotho: Enhancing Access and Quality of Care. Since then, progress has been remarkable.

“We are seeing a significant decline in both neonatal and maternal mortality,” Lekhotsa said.

Lekhotsa said the project, implemented in six facilities under the Learning Hub, also benefits 115 health centers nationwide, with communities at the center of implementation.

For instance, in Mohale’s Hoek District, the Principal Chief volunteered to be a champion for maternal and neonatal health. Lekhotsa said the district hospital now boasts zero neonatal deaths, an achievement he attributes to strong community leadership.

“When you go there, you’ll find district administrators and community champions sitting together with health professionals, discussing maternal health issues. That is what is working. And honestly, this achievement could not have been possible without the support of the Church,” he emphasised.

Meanwhile, Susan Porter, General Primary President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said members freely contribute to such efforts.

“People donate in large and small amounts. This allows the Church worldwide to partner with UNICEF and others to bring relief, healing, and hope,” she explained.

Watching demonstrations at QMMH, Porter was struck by the teamwork. “I saw collaboration and confidence under the direction of the doctors, everyone knowing their role and united by the desire to save lives. It reminded me of the dignity of the human soul. To gather together in such an important effort to save lives is a very noble cause,” she said.

She added that this model of cooperation can bless not only Lesotho but the world. “It is with humility that I am grateful to see how contributions, large and small, of our church members have come to bless your country,” Porter said.

The Ministry of Health’s Principal Secretary, Maneo Ntene, described the partnership as “vital.”

She noted that despite more than 80 percent of births in Lesotho being attended by skilled professionals, outcomes remain poor because the real challenge is the quality of care.

To address this, the Ministry launched the Maternal Learning Hub and Simulation Center Initiative, which builds hands-on skills for nurse midwives, the backbone of maternal care.

 “Our goal is to ensure that no matter where a woman is, she can access safe, respectful, and life-saving care. This initiative would not have been possible without the Church’s support,” Ntene said.

She highlighted the procurement of ultrasound machines for five districts as a game-changer. “Women no longer need to travel long distances or pay out of pocket for scans. These services are now available in lower-level clinics and are free of charge,” she said.

Ntene also praised the collaboration among district leaders, chiefs, medical officers, and nurses. “This kind of cooperation is what will drive national transformation. Let’s continue this journey together so that the next time we meet, we celebrate a transformation that leaves no one behind,” she said.

For health professionals who participated, the project has been both a challenge and a revelation. Tseko Maselinyane, Clinical Supervisor at the National University of Lesotho, recalled the scepticism when simulation-based education was first introduced in November 2023.

 “Many of us thought it was too ambitious, but today we are celebrating its success,” he said.

He acknowledged the difficulties of bringing together experienced doctors, midwives, and other professionals who each believed they were right. “At times, it felt like a courtroom. But through humility and perseverance, we learned to function as one team,” Maselinyane said.

He said the intensive two-week training packed into a short time what would normally take years to learn. “We had to unlearn certain habits and adopt new ones so that we could function together as a single entity. Today, I can confidently say this initiative has been a success,” he said.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐍𝐭𝐬̌𝐞𝐤𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥. 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝.