Theme Groups

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The National AIDS Council sees the thrust of the 2006 to 2010 National HIV and AIDS Strategic Framework (NASF) as focusing on service delivery and saving lives and consequently the community initiatives that drive that focus. The NASF has identified the following six (6) priority themes for intervention:

1. Intensifying prevention of HIV
2. Expanding treatment, care and support for people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS;
3. Mitigating the socio-economic impact of HIV and AIDS
4. Strengthening the decentralized response by mainstreaming HIV and AIDS
5. Improving the capacity for monitoring by all partners; and
6. Integrating advocacy and coordination of the multi-sectoral response

In order to fulfill the interventions outlined above, the Secretariat is supported by several theme groups whose principal role is to monitor the implementation of the 2006 -2010 National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework. 

The Prevention Theme Group

The Prevention Theme Group is the overall advisory body to NAC for technical oversight of HIV and AIDS prevention approaches and activities. The group is charged with the responsibility of reviewing new approaches, projects or programs related to HIV and AIDS. The key strategic objectives addressed by this group include improved access to counseling and testing, PMTCT, Safe Blood, clinical trials and prevention of STIs.
 
Treatment Care and Support Theme Group

The group provides an overall advisory role to NAC and technical oversight of issues around treatment, care and support.  It focuses on Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHAs) and addresses strategic objectives relating to:

• Treatment (with allopathic medicine, traditional medicine and any other forms of treatment) and vaccine development;
• Care (home based care, palliative care, hospice care and other forms of care provided by the public, private and civil society sectors)
• Support provided to Persons Living with HIV and AIDS by the public, private sectors, through support groups and other institutions.

The Treatment, Care and Support Theme Group is broken down into subgroups relating to TB, ART, STIs, Alternative Remedies, Laboratory, Nutrition and Palliative Care.  

Impact Mitigation Theme Group

This group focuses on people who are affected by HIV and AIDS. The group addresses strategic objectives relating to:

• Vulnerable groups such as orphans and widows.
• Gender issues
• Food security

Decentralization and Mainstreaming Theme Group

The group supports the multi-sectoral response by:

• Monitoring and providing technical inputs for public, private and civil society sectors;
• Strengthening internal and external mainstreaming across all sectors;
• Extending the decentralized response through close collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and the District AIDS Task Force (DATF) and Provincial AIDS Task Force (PATF) structures;
• Identifying and sharing of best practices.

The Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) Theme Group 

The M & E group provides overall technical guidance on the following:

• Implementation of the National HIV and AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Plan 2006 to 2010.
• Operationalisation of the NAC Activity Reporting Form System (NARF)
• The national HIV and AIDS research agenda
• Strategic input into the annual review process.

Advocacy and Coordination Theme Group

The advocacy group addresses issues of finances and resource tracking functions. The group also looks at policy and regulatory environment to ensure that appropriate advocacy is conducted.