press releases

Hiv/Aids “Three Ones” Principles In Action In Zambia

Lusaka, Zambia-- The National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council (NAC) in Zambia Tuesday, December 5, 2006 launched a redoubled effort to improve planning, monitoring, evaluation and data use for HIV/AIDS activities nation-wide. From December 5 – 7, Provincial AIDS Coordinators (PACAs) and other health care representatives will receive intensive training on planning, monitoring and evaluation for HIV/AIDS activities.

Next week, PACAs will return to their provincial capitals to train District AIDS Coordinating Advisors (DACAs) and other representatives on the use of NAC’s updated reporting forms to support monitoring of the 2006-2010 Zambia AIDS Strategic Framework (ZASF). Over 240 people will be trained in use of the forms, data collection and quality, and data use for planning representing health, provincial and district government, and NGOs. Each PACA will be supported by a technical team from the U.S. Government (USG) and their partners and UNAIDS.

Dr. Ben Chirwa, Director General of NAC, stated that “this effort is crucial for Zambia to monitor the response under our updated 5-year strategic framework. We have instituted our monitoring and evaluation system under the previous effort but this effort has been expanded and done more swiftly.” NAC has been working with several partners including the USG and UNAIDS in Zambia to implement a joint capacity building plan. Dr. Paul Delay, UNAIDS Director of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in Geneva stated that “Zambia is leading the way in a coordinated effort to build one sustainable M&E system for all to support and implement.”

Using funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Zambia provides technical and financial support directly to NAC as well as funding to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) in the United States. NASTAD brings volunteers from U.S. state health offices to countries requiring additional assistance related to planning, training, evaluation, and mentoring. USAID uses PEPFAR funds to sponsor the SHARe project, which provides M&E technical assistance to NAC and provincial and district AIDS task forces.

Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka, Andrew Passen, stated that “the U.S. Government supports NAC in this endeavor in terms of financial support but also through direct technical support from our CDC and USAID staff. We congratulate NAC for making this effort a reality and are certain it will improve the country’s capabilities to monitor and make decisions about the HIV/AIDS response.”

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