ALAFA stands for the Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight AIDS. It was launched in Maseru in May 2006 to provide prevention and treatment for the 48 000 mainly women Basotho workers in the textile and apparel industry, one third of whom are estimated to be infected with HIV.

ALAFA is an industry-wide programme providing education and prevention, voluntary testing and counselling and management of AIDS through the roll-out of health management and treatment for HIV-positive workers. The project is part of the move to make the Lesotho apparel industry more robust, and is evidence that it deserves its reputation as a socially responsible and ethical source of clothing.

By the end of 2007, 29 000 textile industry employees had access to ALAFA’s prevention services and 17 000 also had access to the care and treatment component of the programme.