The Secretariat
The National HIV/AIDS Council, established in 2002, is a broad-based corporate body with government, private sector and civil society representation. Mandated to coordinate, monitor and evaluate inputs, outputs and the impact of HIV/AIDS programmes and interventions. It is supported by a National AIDS Council Secretariat, whose role is to implement Council decisions, including the development of technical guidelines for the coordination of multi-sectoral response. The Secretariat is headed by the Director-General, who is the Chief Executive Officer as well as Secretary to the Council and to the Cabinet Committee of Ministers on HIV/AIDS. The Secretariat has four main directorates:
- Office of the Director General
The office of the Director General is the highest level of authority for NAC as it is under the direct supervision of the DG. The directorate carries out the management, administration and finance functions of NAC. It has the following units:
- Policy and regulatory environment: This unit is charged with improving the policy and regulatory environment for multi-sectoral HIV and AIDS response in Zambia through an thorough review of the National HIV, AIDS, STI and TB Policy.
- Donor coordination and public relations: This unit is the mouthpiece of NAC through donor coordination and public relations.
- Human resources and administration: This unit is critical to the smooth and effective running of the NAC operations.
- Procurement and stores: This unit which is a sub-function of the Administration Unit, ensures an effective and transparent system of procurement.
- Finance and audit: This unit manages and accounts for financial resources and ensures that NAC will have steady flow of resources from the GRZ and donors.
- Directorate of Prevention and the Multi-sectoral Response
To provide leadership and coordination for an effective decentralised multi-sectoral response and intensification of prevention. The Directorate of Prevention and the Multi-sectoral Response is composed of three units focusing on six core areas: prevention, behaviour change communication (BCC), decentralistation and the sectoral responses for the public sector, the private sector and civil society.
- Directorate of Impact Mitigation, Treatment, Care and Support
Effective leadership for a coordinated continuum of care and support for the HIV-infected and affected persons. The Directorate of Impact Mitigation, Treatment, Care and Support is comprised of Specialist in the following areas: Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), Care and Support, Tuberculosis (TB) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). These four staff are supported by the assistance of a group of Advisors and needs to work closely with the technical counterparts at the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare. The key areas of focus for the directorate are facilitating and expanding access to confidential counseling and testing (CCT), PMTCT services, TB, STI, OI and HIV treatment services, palliative care, including home-based care and nutrition and other support services for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA).
- Directorate of Monitoring, Evaluation and Research
The goal of the Directorate of Monitoring, Evaluation and Research is to provide the nation with timely and relevant information about HIV and AIDS in the country, and the national response to the epidemic. The Directorate is divided into four units:
- Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E): This unit strives to create and maintain a well managed and functional monitoring and evaluation system.
- Management Information Systems (MIS): This unit is responsible for the NAC Information Communication Technology (ICT) systems by ensuring that data is maintained through various databases and the management information system.
- Research : This unit provides guidance and over sight to the four categories of research activities in the country:
operational research, national studies, clinical trials, and vaccine development.
- Resource Centre : This unit is the hub of all strategic communication from NAC. Information is disseminated through the NAC website, the print media, such as the newsletters and fact sheets.
Organization Chart
National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council
The National HIV/AIDS Council which is the centre of the institutional framework was established in by an act of parliament Cap10 of 2002. The Council’s role and functions in a national multi-sectoral response initiative are to:
- Coordinate and support development,
- Monitor and evaluate,
- Advise government on appropriate prevention, care and support strategies, and
- Facilitate reduction of personal, social and economic impacts of HIV/AIDS/STI and TB.
The National Council is composed of the following members appointed by the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee of Ministers:
(A) Permanent Secretaries in the Ministries responsible for:
- Community Development & Social Services
- Education
- Health
- Sports, Youth and Child Development
(B) Civil society represented by the following organizations:
- The Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS
- Zambia National AIDS Network
- Forum for Youth Organizations
- Religious Organizations
- General Nursing Council
- Medical Council of Zambia
(C) A representative of the Attorney General
(D) A representative of the media sector
(E) A representative of Traditional Healers Association
(F) Two persons from amidst members of the public
The National HIV/AIDS Council has standing technical committees to act as advisory bodies on specific activities and these include:
- Programs Committee
- Ethics and Research Committee
- Administration Committee
- Finance Committee
Cabinet Committee of Ministers on HIV and AIDS
Since 2002, Government ha maintained its political commitment by establishing a Cabinet Committee of Ministers whose role has been to provide policy direction and guidance to the National AIDS Council. The Committee continues to perform a critical role in informing the Head of State on important matters concerning HIV/AIDS in the country. The Committee is which is chaired by the Minister of Health, comprises Cabinet Ministers representing:
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Transport & Communication
- Ministry of Finance and National Planning
- Ministry of Labor & Social Services
- Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development
- Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Community Development and Social Services
Country Coordinating Mechanism
The NAC Secretariat is responsible for the provision of secretariat support to the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM) of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). The CCM exists to:
- Review, approve and coordinate applications to the GFATM;
- Monitor and guide the implementation of projects approved by the Global Fund for Zambia;
- Establish the working mechanisms of the CCM.
The CCM adheres to the principles of openness and transparency, broad participation and efficient operation. It also seeks to contribute to the successful implementation of the Global Fund Projects in Zambia. The CCM is composed of 20 members of government sector (6), Non-Government sector (7), PHLA (1), Private Sector (1) and International Organization sector (4).
The CCM established HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria working groups. The CCM also set up other ad-hoc working groups (according to the work requirements) on other thematic areas such as Human Resource Systems, Community Engagement and Monitoring and Evaluation. Membership to the working group is open to all CCM members of the sector or constituency groups.
|
