NAC Zambia nac.org.zm
The leadership of the National AIDS Council (NAC) held a meeting with the new Minister of Health to discuss strategic priorities for strengthening Zambia’s HIV response, sustaining financing for the national response and repositioning NAC to effectively respond to the changing health and development landscape.
The meeting came at a time when the HIV response is experiencing a significant reduction in the traditional resource envelope, requiring innovative approaches to financing, stronger institutional systems and greater efficiency in the use of available resources.
During the meeting, the NAC leadership congratulated the Minister on his appointment and recognised his career path and experience in public service. The leadership expressed confidence that his experience would contribute to strengthening the national HIV response and advancing efforts to protect the health of Zambians.
A key issue discussed was the need to establish a more sustainable and predictable mechanism for financing the national HIV response. With donor resources declining, the meeting emphasised the importance of diversifying funding sources and strengthening domestic resource mobilisation.
The leadership highlighted the need to explore opportunities within the private sector and other potential financing mechanisms to ensure that critical HIV interventions are not disrupted by changes in external funding.
The meeting also underscored the importance of making strategic use of available infrastructure and resources, including existing systems and platforms, to maximise their contribution to the HIV response.
The meeting recognised the importance of maintaining a strong focus on HIV prevention, particularly among children and other populations at risk of infection.
Strengthening the institutional capacity and mandate of NAC was another important area of discussion.
The meeting highlighted the need for a clear mandate for NAC, adequate capacity development for staff and stronger institutional arrangements to enable the Council to effectively coordinate the national HIV response.
The operationalisation of relevant legal and institutional frameworks, including the AIDS Fund, was identified as an important step towards strengthening the sustainability of the response. The reconstitution of the NAC Board and the appointment of Board members were also highlighted as matters requiring attention.
The discussions also touched on the need to look beyond HIV treatment alone and strengthen integration of HIV services with other health needs.
The meeting emphasised the importance of recognising the broader health conditions and needs experienced by people living with HIV. This includes strengthening the capacity of HIV clinics to address conditions such as hypertension and other non-communicable diseases, as well as considering specialised services where necessary.
The meeting also explored opportunities for leveraging the Smart Zambia agenda and existing digital infrastructure to strengthen the HIV response.
The use of technology and existing infrastructure could support improved coordination, information management, service delivery, monitoring and communication around HIV programmes.
The meeting reaffirmed the importance of strengthening collaboration between government, NAC and other stakeholders to sustain the gains made in the national HIV response.
The engagement with the Minister provided an opportunity for NAC leadership to highlight key priorities and identify areas requiring strengthened government support as Zambia works to sustain progress in the HIV response and address emerging challenges
