Pretoria - The South African National Council on AIDS (SANAC) is to hold its first meeting after its restructuring and its adoption of the National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS and STI 2007- 2011.

The meeting at the Presidential Guesthouse will be a critical step toward coordinated and collective action.

SANAC was formed in 2000, replacing the Inter-Ministerial Committee on AIDS.

The newly constituted SANAC was launched in Kempton Park in May 2007, and endorsed the new comprehensive National Strategic Plan for HIV, AIDS and STI for 2007-2011.

The council, chaired by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka officially brings together government and civil society in a renewed partnership against HIV and AIDS.

The new SANAC structure is comprised of the SANAC High Level Committee, the Programme Implementation Committee and Sectoral Coordinating Committees.

Monday’s meeting in Pretoria will consider finalisation of the SANAC constitution and progress in operationalising its structures.

It will receive a report from the Programme Implementation Committee which consists of all 17 civil society sectors and officials from government departments.

It will also receive a report on plans by sectors and departments for implementation of the NSP and on a proposed framework for monitoring and evaluation.

The Department of Health will be presenting a proposal for strengthening the SANAC Secretariat, while a communication framework which has been developed in consultation with the sectors of SANAC will be presented for approval.

The primary goal of the National Strategic Plan for HIV, AIDS and STI for 2007-2011, is to reduce the rate of new HIV infections and mitigate the impact of AIDS on individuals, families and communities.

The plan aims to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the rate of new infections by 2011 and provide an appropriate package of treatment, care and support services to at least 80 percent of people living with HIV and their families by 2011.

Addressing the launch in May, the then Acting Health Minister Jeff Radebe explained that these bold targets reflect the partnership's commitment to combat HIV, AIDS and STIs, adding that their achievement would require intense collective efforts by every one.

"Most importantly, reaching these targets requires individual behavioural change and responsibility from all of us as the people of South Africa," said the minister.

The package of care provided for in the plan includes counselling and testing services as an entry point; healthy lifestyle interventions, including nutritional support; treatment of opportunistic infections; anti-retroviral therapy and monitoring and evaluation to assess progress and share research.

The plan also includes a monitoring and evaluation component critical in assessing progress and sharing research on the pandemic.

At the May launch, Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka urged that all funds allocated to fighting the illnesses be spent: "I urge provinces to run with implementation of programmes. There should be no roll-over of budgets allocated for HIV and AIDS. We should also address the challenge of opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis (TB).”


Speaking on behalf of civil society organisations at the same event, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu said NGOs endorse the plan and are ready to work on the implementation.

"We are excited with the extent to which we have been consulted in the development of the plan," said Ms Bogopane-Zulu. - BuaNews