Spotlight: Lhak-Sam (BNP+), Bhutan

Lhak-Sam Bhutan Network of Positive People, often shortened as Lhak-Sam, is the first and only network of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Bhutan – the landlocked South Asian kingdom.

Registered officially as a civil society organisation in 2010, Lhak-Sam’s initial goal is to promote and provide leadership, education and capacity building for people living with HIV and their families. A home visit to offer psycho-social care and support to PLHIV, particularly to those living in isolated areas, has been the organisation’s critical contribution in empowering the community and eradicating the epidemic.

Today, Lhak-Sam has grown into a community organisation that also implements various projects on reducing the impact of HIV among young people, men who have sex with men and transgender populations. The organisation has also been involved in HIV advocacy and community sensitisation across the country.

Lhak-Sam is one of the national sub-recipients of the Multi-Country South Asia Global Fund HIV Programme, in which APCOM acts as the regional sub-recipient. Under the Programme, Lhak-Sam has participated in separate training on resource mobilisation, monitoring and evaluation, effective leadership and programme management conducted by APCOM.  Also under APCOM’s assistance, Lhak-Sam has equipped its governance with risk management policy and monitoring and evaluation plan.

To learn more about the organisation, visit http://www.lhaksam.org.bt.