THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO COMBINED SECOND TO EIGHTH PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS AND INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA health services has developed community based centers in mountainous and hard to reach places. The Government’s efforts are supplemented by the private sector such as the Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL) and NGOs who also provide hospital and clinic-based Health services in Lesotho in remote areas of Lesotho. Women living in the rural areas are able to access services from these institutions. In places where there are no community centers, the government provides mobile clinics to reach people. The Government also has a programme called ‘flying doctors’ whereupon doctors are dispatched to community centers in the rural areas to offer health care services. This arrangement is made for those community centers which do not have doctors. Challenges 447. There are various challenges inhibiting access the health care services of women and girls. These include:  Cultural and societal stereotypes  Lack of expertise of health care providers  Lack of interest to test litigation  Lack of proper infrastructure to enable access to health such as roads  Lack of economic accessibility of health services.  Health care services are not entirely free but are subsidized. Poor women still find it challenging to pay even the subsidized amount.  Lack of disaggregated statistics  Development of legislations and policies that are not costed to facilitate their implementation  Several Faith- Based Organisations (FBOs) which offer services mainly to rural and hard to reach communities around the country do not offer family planning services due to their religious inclinations, as such in places where they are based, women and girls do not have access to contraceptive methods. 153