Civil society update-Draft National consultation report on NACP-III

[Guest guest]

Civil society key to India's national AIDS programme

Civil society is emerging as an important partner of the Indian

government in shaping an effective response to the AIDS epidemic.

This central role was confirmed at a national-level consultative meeting from

14-15 October in India, organised by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in

India and the Planning Team of NACP-III.

The consultation was held so that civil society could review the

framework of the third phase of India's National AIDS Control Programme (NACP

III), identify gaps in the design process and make

recommendations. Dr S Y Quraishi of the National AIDS Control

Organisation (NACO) said that civil society is to have the 'main

implementing role' in NACP III, with the government as facilitator.

This third phase has been designed to develop a single mechanism for

AIDS co-ordination, one national AIDS strategy, and one monitoring and

evaluation framework for AIDS responses - principles that UNAIDS calls the

'Three Ones'. A massive planning exercise has involved consultation with a wide

cross-section of stakeholders to promote partnership working and increase their

sense of ownership.

Civil society organisations are critical to India's prevention and care and

support responses, and getting them involved in the consultative process is

essential to scaling up India's response to the epidemic. In his keynote

address, Mr P K Hota from the government said that the participation of civil

society is 'very valued'. He added, 'We are involved in a dynamic framework with

civil society as co-partners in implementation.'

The meeting, organised by the India HIV/AIDS Alliance and NACO, and

supported by the Resource Centre for Sexual Health and AIDS, explored

how dialogue between government and civil society can be strengthened so that

their role will be ongoing. Dr J V R Prasad Rao of UNAIDS spoke in support of

strategic partnerships, urging the consultation to develop a representative body

of civil society that can work in partnership with government.

The consultation emphasised that:

* Prevention will only work among marginalised populations if

there are support systems in place at State AIDS Control Society level.

Key populations must be targeted as distinct from the general population to make

sure that everyone has access to prevention, with the rural epidemic

particularly addressed in prevention planning.

* Care and support includes treatment, and universal access to

treatment should be the overall aim. Civil society groups that can

deliver antiretroviral treatment must be included in the programme.

* Systems for capacity building need to emerge from NACO and

become ingrained in the State AIDS Control Societies' response. Capacity

building initiatives must become needs based and forward looking.

* Monitoring and evaluation should be participatory, with a

community-friendly approach to prevention and care and support. It

should prioritise only data essential to programme development.

* Management and governance should reflect the principle of

partnership and be closely observed at local and national level, with

mechanisms in place to enforce accountability. Governance structures and systems

should include key populations. And funding and support

mechanisms for civil society needs to be strengthened and made more

systematic.

Dr Sunita Singh of the World Bank said that civil society has an

'integral part to play in the development of nations' and should

co-ordinate efforts between civil society organisations, networks of

people living with HIV/AIDS and non-governmental organisations so they can have

'a greater voice and establish their place in the international scenario'.

The consultation has made it clear that civil society organisations are

committed to continuing their participation in the planning and

implementation of NACP III. A newly formed committee will plan how to

structure this involvement, including developing a representative body of civil

society at all levels.

Read the draft report on the outcomes of this consultation from the

following link:

http://synkronweb.aidsalliance.org/sw32205.asp

Thanks

Anandi Yuvaraj

Steering Committee Member-NACP-III

Anandi Yuvaraj

Senior Programme Officer

India HIV/AIDS Alliance

Kushal House, Third Floor

39 Nehru Place, New Delhi 110019

India.

Switchboard:+91-11-51633081-84 Extn:116

Fax:+91-11-51633085

E-mail: ayuvaraj@...

www.aidsalliance.org and www.aidsmap.com