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| ABOUT
NATIONAL AIDS COMMISSION |
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 CORPORATE
PROFILE
The National AIDS Commission (NAC) is a corporate body that was
established by an act of Parliament NO.8 of September 2005. It
is charged with an overall mandate of coordinating the national
response towards HIV and AIDS in Lesotho. The specific areas of
its mandate are as follows: to develop and coordinate strategies
for combating HIV and AIDS; to provide policy guidance to
implementing agencies in the country; to provide technical and
financial support to the implementing partners; and to
facilitate implementation, monitoring and evaluation of
programmes.
The scope of coordination includes all sectors of society, be
they public institutions – Government Ministries, parastatals,
Development Partners, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs),
Private sector organizations in all their forms and sizes and
community based organizations (CBOs). Coordination of these
sectors is effected through the necessary tools to guide
harmonization of various HIV and AIDS interventions in the
country. The tools include National HIV and AIDS Policy,
National HIV and AIDS Strategic plan, National HIV and AIDS
Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and a National Coordination
Framework.
Lesotho subscribes to the “three ones” principle of: One
national coordinating authority; One national strategic
framework; and One monitoring and evaluation system. The fourth
principle of ‘One National HIV and AIDS Fund’ is added in the
case of Lesotho. With regard to the fouth one preparations are
underway for the establishment of a national AIDS Fund as a way
of scaling up the national response. The Commission is
structured to provide stakeholder-driven strategic direction in
the coordination of the national HIV and AIDS response, as well
as ensuring equitable allocation of financial, human and other
resources to identify strategic areas. This includes the
development of necessary technical and operational capacities
with implementing organizations or partners.
VISION
To be the leading HIV and AIDS coordinating body in the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) region by 2011.
MISSION STATEMENT
To provide effective leadership in the coordination of the
national response to HIV and AIDS in Lesotho.
SLOGAN
“Powered to Conquer HIV and AIDS”
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ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES |
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Integrity— We value truthfulness, fairness, honesty and
transparency in our internal and external relationships,
communications and transactions.
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Accountability—We affirm our commitment to being
accountable, cost-conscious, and conscious of the impact of
our actions on the environment in the fulfillment of our
duties and professional obligation associated with our
position.
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Excellence—We value professionalism and timeliness and
seek credibility in all that we do. We are committed to the
highest professional standards.
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Innovation—We value and support innovation. We
encourage informed risk taking that holds the promise of
enhancing organizational learning.
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Leadership—We value leadership at all levels within the
Secretariat. We believe that all employees are responsible
for continuously providing effective leadership within the
context of individual roles and responsibilities.
- Collaboration - We value
the collective wisdom that emerges when individuals work
together as a team.
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NAC GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE |
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NAC
has three key components of its structure, namely the Board of
Commissioners, the HIV and AIDS Forum, and the National AIDS
Secretariat (NAS). These three components are integral parts of
its structure, thus it is a three in one arrangement that is
embedded in the NAC Act. NAS is charged with the responsibility
of executing policies and strategies on a daily basis formulated
by the Board on the advice of the Forum. |
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BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
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The
Board of Commissioners is the supreme policy making body within
the organization it comprises five members that are reflected
below:
Board Member Portfolio
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Advocate Thabo Makeka |
Chair Person |
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Dr. ‘Molotsi Monyamane |
Medical Portfolio |
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Advocate Lehlanako Mofilikoane-Leqele |
Legal Portfolio |
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Ms. ‘Puleng Lebitsa |
Finance Portfolio |
| Mr. Mohau Mabote |
Stakeholders Portfolio |
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Mrs. Manneheng Mopeli |
Board Secretary & Chief Executive a.i |
The Board is charged with the responsibility of developing
national policies and strategies for the national response and
for the development of operational policies for the Commission.
It is also entrusted with the oversight and guidance of the
National AIDS Secretariat among other things. |
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HIV AND AIDS FORUM
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The
second component of the NAC structure is the National HIV and
AIDS Forum which comprises fourteen members from various
sectors. Its membership include representation from the two
houses of Parliament, Ministries of Finance and Development
Planning, Health and Social Welfare, Education and Training,
Local Government and Chieftainship, Lesotho Council of NGOs (LCN),
Lesotho Network of People Living With HIV and AIDS (LENEPWHA),
Women Organizations, Lesotho Youth Federation, Teachers’
Associations, Business sector, Faith-based organizations and
Sporting bodies.
The general mandate of the Forum is to enhance coordination of
the national response through the organisations represented in
it. It is also intended to foster a sense that NAC is a national
entity to which every Mosotho should feel they have a stake. The
importance of this lies in the fact that if key sectors and
institutions identify with a body mandated to coordinate the
national response then such a body will be effective and,
succeed in its mandate. The Forum also advises the Board on
issues pertaining to the response. There are three points of
interface between the Forum and the Board to ensure flow of
communication between them. The three points of connection
relate to the fact that the Chairperson and the Secretary for
both structures are the same people. In addition, the
Commissioner on the Stakeholders portfolio on the Board is a
direct representative of the Forum on the Board.
NAC coordinates the national response through the Forum among
other ways in that its members report on their constituency
activities and ways in which interventions can be improved in
various sectors. The members also serve as liaisons between NAC
and the organizations and sectors they represent. Thus, they
pass on the feedback from the national level to their sectors
and vice-versa. This is also a useful forum for members to share
experiences on key issues on the national response.
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NATIONAL AIDS SECRETARIAT
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NAC
has three directorates or business units, namely, Directorate of
Policy, Strategy and Communication; Directorate of Stakeholders
Coordination and Support; and Directorate of Finance and
Corporate Services. |
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DIRECTORATE OF POLICY,
STRATEGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
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The
mandate of this business unit is to develop national policies
and strategies, develop communication and advocacy strategies
for the national response and public relations for NAC.
Furthermore, it is entrusted with developing monitoring and
evaluation systems for HIV and AIDS interventions and to
coordinate HIV and AIDS research in the country.
The National HIV and AIDS Policy, Strategic Plan 2006 – 2011 (NSP)
and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan were approved by
Cabinet in late November 2006, after which they were printed for
wide distribution. The process of developing these documents was
informed by a joint review of the national response which
pointed to the key driving factors of the pandemic. These
driving factors have since been used as a basis for the
development of the policy as well as the strategic plan. They
include multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships, alcohol and
drug abuse, poverty and food insecurity, unemployment,
multigenerational sex, high levels of unprotected sexual
practices, gender inequality and gender based violence, and
inadequate access to HIV and AIDS information and services.
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DIRECTORATE OF
STAKEHOLDERS, COORDINATION AND SUPPORT
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The
mission of this directorate is to lead coordination of the
national response and to provide technical support to
Implementing Partners (IPs) and to provide grants to IPs to
scale up efforts to combat the pandemic. Coordination is
effected through a number of self-coordinating structures such
as community councils, committees and umbrella organisations
which include but are not limited to the Lesotho Youth
Federation, Lesotho Inter-Religious Consortium (LIRAC), Lesotho
Council of NGOs and Lesotho Network of People Living with HIV
and AIDS (LENEPWHA).
A
National Coordination Framework has been developed and
disseminated to the different stakeholders alongside the key
national documents for the national response. The document is
being used to catalyze and guide the process of establishment of
sectoral coordinating structures and to define/re-define their
coordinating roles and responsibilities in the national
response.
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DIRECTORATE OF FINANCE AND
CORPORATE SERVICES |
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The
mandate of this business unit is to oversee implementation and
compliance to the NAC financial regulations and procedures and
provide support to the technical business units. The support is
in a number of forms such as Human Resources, Information
Technology, logistics, transport and other material support. It
also deals with the grants-making process for Implementing
Partners supported by NAC. The strategic objective of Finance
and Corporate Services is to strengthen NAS capacity to
effectively manage and coordinate the national response to HIV
and AIDS. The directorate achieves this objective by putting in
place systems for financial management, human resources
management, administration, management of information systems
and grants management.
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DIRECTORATE OF FINANCE AND
CORPORATE SERVICES |
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The following are the responsibilities of NAC as spelt out in
the legislation that establishes the commission:
- To develop and establish policies,
strategies and priorities for national response to HIV and
AIDS embracing the institution of a nationwide HIV and AIDS
information and education programme.
- To review periodic reports
evaluating the progress of the Commission towards achieving
its goal.
- To monitor the implementation of
the National Aids Strategic Plan and Strategies for scaling
up the fight against HIV and AIDS in Lesotho.
- To coordinate and support the
scaling up of innovative efforts that involve stakeholders
at various levels.
- To facilitate the development and
implementation of communication strategies to support the
national response with emphasis on behavioural change.
- To encourage openness and
tolerance to people living with HIV and AIDS.
- To develop and issue, in
consultation with the Ministry responsible for Health,
guidelines on medical and other practices and procedures
that carry the risk of HIV transmission.
- To facilitate the provision of
accessible and affordable HIV testing and counseling
services to people who are in need of them.
- To facilitate the provision of
accessible, affordable and acceptable health and support
services for persons living with HIV and AIDS in hospitals
and in communities.
- To spearhead HIV and AIDS advocacy
and create an enabling environment for all stakeholders to
effectively participate in the national response against the
HIV and AIDS pandemic.
- To develop a national HIV and AIDS
monitoring and evaluation system and coordinate its
implementation in order to asses the impact and results of
relevant programmes and other interventions.
- To develop resource mobilization
strategies, facilitate allocation and track effective
utilization in the implementation of the national response
to HIV and AIDS pandemic
- To act as a national agent for
mobilizing financial and technical resources for HIV and
AIDS activities from Government, the donor community and the
private sector and solicit their partnership and support in
the implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes.
- To identify emerging policy and
programme issues and challenges.
- To determine research, facilitate
research work and use findings to inform policy reform and
development.
- To provide strategic direction for
core-streaming HIV and AIDS into all national policies and
programme.
- To advocate for the observance of
medical confidentiality and adherence to the precepts of
this ACT.
- To map out interventions
indicating the geographical coverage and the scope of the
interventions and actors throughout the country. and
- To coordinate, monitor and
supervise all activities relating to HIV and AIDS.
The paramount responsibility of NAC is coordination of
the national response to HIV and AIDS. Coordination denotes that there are
agencies that are directly involved in implementation whose activities are
coordinated by NAC. It also implies that NAC should come up with mechanisms with
which to guide the implementing organizations. One of the primary strategies
that the Commission employs to coordinate the national response is to engage
various sectoral coordination structures to take on HIV and AIDS activities.
Such structures include the Lesotho Sports and Recreation Commission (LSRC),
Lesotho Inter-religious Consortium (LIRAC), Lesotho Network of People Living
with HIV and AIDS (LENEPWHA). This approach ensures among other things that the
interventions that NAC coordinates and supports are country-wide in their reach
and impact because all the organizations with which it works operate throughout
the country.
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KEY MILESTONES |
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Phase II
of Round 2 Global fund grant approved |
2006 |
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Launch
of National AIDS Commission |
September 2006 |
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Labour
Code amended to ensure non-discrimination |
2006 |
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National
Blood Transfusion Policy adopted |
2006 |
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1st
anniversary of the formation of LENEPWHA |
May 2006 |
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Phase I of Round 5 Global fund grant approved (Scale-up
of care and treatment) |
Nov2006 |
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National AIDS forum constituted with representation of
all stakeholders |
2006 |
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Development partners pledge significant funds to support
National AIDS response |
November
2006 |
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Launch
of the National Action plan on Women, girls and HIV and
AIDS |
November
2006 |
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Adoption
of National Strategic plan |
December
2006 |
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Adoption
of National AIDS Policy |
December
2006 |
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Adoption
of National M&E Framework |
December
2006 |
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National Coordination framework adopted |
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District
level launch of National AIDS Policy, Action plan and
M&E plan |
August
2007 |
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National
Operational plan for 2007-2008 developed |
May 2007 |
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Phase I
of Round 6 Global fund grant approved on the scale up of
TB/HIV collaborative activities |
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Plan to
scale up PMTCT programme developed as a result of joint
review of PMTCT programmes |
May 2007
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National
Partnership forum launched |
March
2007 |
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Church
leaders sign statement of commitment to focus on HIV and
AIDS |
July
2007 |
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Thematic
working groups for Programme management, HIV prevention,
Treatment, care and support and Impact mitigation formed |
July
2007 |
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EU grant
for 12 million Euros for focusing on OVCs approved |
August
2007 |
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National
consultations on preparation of AIDS bill |
September 2007 |
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All 21
line ministries and Government departments trained on
HIV and AIDS and develop action plans for mainstreaming
HIV within their sectors |
September/October 2007 |
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Global
Fund round 7 for US$33 million approved to focus on OVC
and PMTCT |
November
2007 |
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All 128
community councils in Lesotho prepare AIDS action plan
to implement essential package of services on HIV and
AIDS at community level |
November
2007 |
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National
AIDS Commission becomes full member of the Country
Coordinating Mechanism |
December
2007 |
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