Implementation of regional and international HIV prevention - SAfAIDS

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Although NERCHA has a strong M&E unit, monitoring and evaluation systems ofimplementing agencies of HIV and AIDS interventions are not homogenous and inmost cases, weak. A recent assessment of M&E Capacity of HIV and AIDS Organisationsin Swaziland identified M&E technical skills as a common gap. This is a major challengeespecially in measuring how the country is performing in its bid to fulfil its obligations undervarious conventions, declarations and protocols.Swaziland data in the UNGASS report also show that the percentage of young peopleaged 15-24 who correctly identify ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV andwho reject major misconceptions about HIV transmission was 52.2%; (Women: 52.1%,Men: 52.3%). These results are alarming given the high prevalence levels in the country,indicating that work is still required in achieving positive behaviour change. The countryneeds to do more to provide adequate information and advocacy. Without positivebehavioural change, no meaningful achievement will be realised through initiatives beingimplemented by the Government.10.2.2 Challenges faced by ZambiaZambia has not yet made a deliberate attempt to put in place a legal framework thatspecifically addresses the various conventions, declarations and protocols to which the countryis signatory. Many issues which are core to the declarations are said to be accommodatedin some clauses in other legal sources such as the Constitution and statutory law. Theiraccommodation may take the form of them being implied as opposed to being expressed.An overarching criticism of the legal framework is that no deliberate attempt has been madeto date to come up with clear and specific legal instruments focusing on the HIV and AIDSnational response in compliance with the numerous declarations and conventions to whichZambia is a signatory.Zambia’s HIV and AIDS policy has some gaps on prevention. According to the mid-termreview of the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Strategic Framework (NAC, 2008), the preventionaspect of policy does not address the issue of men who have sex with men (MSM) and malecircumcision. It is also justifiably argued that there is not much attention paid by the policyto intravenous drug users (IDUs). Regarding UNGASS, an indicator revealed that only 60% ofschools provided life skills-based HIV education in the 2006 academic year.50
11.0 MECHANISMS FOR CO-ORDINATION OFDEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCEMost African countries receive bilateral or multilateral development assistance that contributestowards the realisation of public HIV and AIDS service delivery objectives. There is a consensusthat, though such assistance can make a major contribution to achieving universal realisationof economic and social rights, there is a need for the quality of assistance to improve. Thishas been recognised by the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness 11 of March 2005. The ParisDeclaration expresses the global commitment for donors and recipient countries to supportthe direction for reforming aid delivery and management to achieve improved effectivenessand results. Also relevant are the Guiding Principles on Civil Service Reform 12 , adopted in 1995by the Special Programme of Assistance for Africa (SPA), a group of aid agencies co-ordinatedby the World Bank.Both countries are signatory to the Paris Declaration on AID Effectiveness. The two countrieshave over the years expressed their willingness to support effective delivery and managementof development assistance. They both endorsed the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA) on theacceleration and intensification of the implementation of the Paris Declaration on Aid andEffectiveness. The Accra Agenda for Action also acknowledges the role of civil organisations inadvancing aid effectiveness. Thus they are important as development actors, and also have animportant role in promoting accountability and in demanding results. Clause 16 specifies theintention of donors and Governments to building more effective and inclusive partnerships fordevelopments. They acknowledge that partnerships are most effective when they fully harnessthe energy, skill and experience of all development actors - bilateral donors, global funds, CSOsand the private sector.A comprehensive donor harmonisation framework that operates at national level wasdeveloped in Zambia in 2004. The framework is articulated in the Harmonisation in PracticeInitiative (HIP), which involves a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in April 2004,initially by the Government with 15 development partners operating in the country. The MoUprovides the platform for developing the harmonisation of cooperation by developmentpartners and alignment to Government procedures and processes. The harmonisationframework addresses issues of common procurement and disbursement guidelines, pooledfunding, common monitoring and evaluation indicators of programmes, timely disbursementof donor commitments and reduction of bank accounts used to manage donor funds, amongother things. It is within the context of the harmonisation framework that the developmentpartners have agreed to prepare a Joint Assistance Strategy for Zambia (JASZ) covering theperiod 2006 to 2010, instead of independent planning instruments. The Bank Group, as asignatory to the Rome and Paris Declaration on Donor Harmonisation, actively participated inthe JASZ process between 2005 and 2007.11 The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness 2005 expresses the international community’s consensuson the direction for reforming aid delivery and management to achieve improved effectiveness and results. TheDeclaration is grounded on five mutually reinforcing principles: Ownership-Partner countries exercise effectiveleadership over their development policies and strategies, and co-ordinate development actions; Alignment-Donors base their overall support on partner countries’ national development strategies, institutions, and procedures;Harmonization-Donors’ actions are more harmonized, transparent, and collectively effective; Managingfor results-Managing resources and improving decision making for development results; Mutual accountability:Donors and partners are accountable for development results.12 http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/CAFRAD/UNPAN010830.pdf51
Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis research was c
Page 5 and 6: 6.0 HIV/AIDS STRATEGIC PLANNING, MO
Page 7 and 8: SAfAIDS Southern Africa HIV & AIDS
Page 9 and 10: Generally, survey findings show tha
Page 11 and 12: The national HIV prevention, treatm
Page 13 and 14: RecommendationsSwaziland-specific r
Page 15 and 16: Civil Society Organisationsa) Co-or
Page 17 and 18: 1.0 INTRODUCTION1.1 BackgroundHIV i
Page 19 and 20: 2.0 METHODOLOGYThis assessment prim
Page 21 and 22: Table 2 below shows HIV and AIDS es
Page 23 and 24: Having developed its first PMTCT gu
Page 25 and 26: Zambia is one of the Sub-Sahara Afr
Page 27 and 28: During the reporting period it was
Page 29 and 30: In Zambia the HIV and AIDS response
Page 31 and 32: Convention or Declaration Date Swaz
Page 33 and 34: However, serious gaps exist. The tw
Page 35 and 36: Generally, HIV and AIDS data in bot
Page 37 and 38: through focus group discussions inv
Page 39 and 40: co-ordinate the national response a
Page 41 and 42: All these positions are filled. UNA
Page 43 and 44: 7.0 FUNDING MECHANISMS FOR HIV AND
Page 45 and 46: 8.0 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENTHuman
Page 47 and 48: 9.0 EXTERNAL OVERSIGHT MECHANISMSTh
Page 49 and 50: Nevertheless, the media in Zambia s
Page 51: 10.1.2 Specific lessons from Zambia
Page 55 and 56: 12.1.1 SwazilandA number of key sta
Page 57 and 58: e) Strengthen M&E systems of key de
Page 59 and 60: REFERENCES1. A Report on the Assess
Page 61: ACTION POINTS FOR FUTURE USE59
Page 65: ACTION POINTS I WILL SHARE63

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