National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA)

Public Sector Response

INTRODUCTION

In line with internationally accepted practice, the Nigeria HIV/AIDS response is a multisectoral one which recognizes the importance of participation by all sectors as well as the different competences they bring into the response. This has informed the establishment of HIV/AIDS responses in Line Ministries and the vision to continually expand the public sector response.

The major thrust has been to support Line Ministries to design and implement long term sustainable programmes in their respective sectors. Each sector is expected to design and implement programmes on two fronts. (a) Workplace programmes targeting their staff and (b) Activities targeting their clientele based on the sector’s competences.

The major driver of the public sector response has been funding from the IDA credit for HIV/AIDS with the initial target to have by July 2002, at least 3 Line Ministries and 10 by 2005. We have now by far surpassed this target and are now working with 30 Line Ministries/sub sectors and parastatals. The Federal Government’s decision to utilize funds from Debt Relief Gains for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria of which Goal 6 addresses the issue of HIV/AIDS potentially provides additional resources for the public sector response.

Programme Implementation by Line Ministries

Critical Mass teams and Project Teams have been established in each participating sector/parastatals. Annual workplans are developed in line with national priorities with technical assistance provided by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) for the design, planning, implementation and monitoring of programmes.

Focus of sectoral responses

The following section provides an overview of the key thrust of each ministry’s response.

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources

Build capacity at Federal, State and Local Government Levels to mainstream HIV/AIDS into the Agriculture and Water Resources sector
Promoting implementation of the Nigerian HIV/AIDS BCC Strategy in agricultural sector for rural and farming populations

Domesticate the National HIV/AIDS workplace policy for the Agriculture and Water Resources sectors

Establish sector-wide coordination mechanism for HIV programming
Build capacity of agricultural extension and other relevant workers for community mobilization

Ministry of Defence

Facilitate behaviour change within the Nigerian military through the implementation of the Nigeria Behaviour Change Communication strategy
Produce appropriate culturally–sensitive information materials for wide dissemination within the military

Develop a HIV/AIDS MOD workplace policy and review existing policy for the Armed Forces
Expand and strengthen condom distribution mechanism within the sector including peace keeping missions

Federal Ministry of Education

Identify and address institutional and human capacity gaps for mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into the Education sector.
Accelerate and scale up the implementation of the Family Life and HIV/AIDS Education (FLHE) Curriculum, including step-down/cascade training and harmonization of teaching resources.
Build Capacity of Teachers and Inspectors in higher education for implementation FLHE Curriculum.
Operationalize the National Education Sector Strategic Plan (NESP).

Facilitate institutionalization of coordination mechanisms through support to regular conduct of coordination meetings with State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and State Ministry of Education desk officers at all levels.
Implement workplace programmes targeting staff and teachers including implementation of the Education Sector policy.

Produce age-appropriate, gender and culturally–sensitive educational and information materials, including HIV news letters.
Expanding and institutionalizing the HIV/AIDS response in all tertiary institutions across the country
Provide orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) with access to all levels of education.

Federal Ministry of Energy

Implement prevention and behavioral change communication targeting workers in the sector and project host communities
Produce age-appropriate, gender and culturally–sensitive information materials in major languages for nation-wide dissemination within the sector
Partner with relevant stakeholders and service providers to improve access to prevention, treatment, care and support programmes for workers in the sector

Integrate HIV counseling and testing services into health services in public and private organizations in the sector

Federal Ministry of Health

Step down and implementation of the health sector strategic plan
Strengthen and coordinate partnerships within the health sector response
Review policies, guidelines, testing and treatment algorithms and ensure wide dissemination to all levels of health care
Support State Ministries of Health to establish strong responses at state level
Build capacity for logistics management at all levels
Build capacity of health workers, support groups on treatment literacy
Promote and institutionalize syndromic management of STIs into primary health care system

Federal Ministry of Housing and Environment

Mainstream HIV/AIDS into the Ministry and private sector construction activities

Implement prevention and behavioral change communication targeting ministry staff, construction workers, environmental health workers and project host communities
Partner with relevant stakeholders and service providers to improve access to prevention, treatment, care and support programmes for workers in the sector
Domesticate, disseminate and implement workplace policy on HIV/AIDS

Federal Ministry of Information and Communication

Facilitate behaviour change among the general population through social mobilization
Produce age-appropriate, gender and culturally–sensitive multi-media information materials in major languages for nation-wide dissemination

Adopt and implement HIV/AIDS workplace intervention throughout the information and communication sector
Advocate for implementation of workplace intervention in other sectors
Promote the implementation of the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Behaviour change and communication strategy

Federal Ministry of Interior

Step down and implementation of sector’s policy and intervention plan on HIV/AIDS

Implement prevention and behavioral change communication targeting paramilitary forces, ministry staff, Prisoners and students in borstal institutions.
Produce age-appropriate, gender and culturally–sensitive information materials in major languages for nation-wide dissemination with focus the commands, prisons, Nigeria Immigration Service Border posts and stations
Strengthen and establish linkages with community based support groups to ensure continued support for discharged positive prisoners

Strengthen programme units and desk officers capacity for counseling and behavioral change communication

Strengthen and build capacity of programme personnel and desk officers for programme management

Federal Ministry of Labour

Develop, promote and scale up workplace interventions on HIV/AIDS
Strengthen coordination mechanisms by building capacity for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of HIV workplace interventions at all levels including enterprise level
Strengthen capacity of state labour offices to mainstream HIV/AIDS into activities
Design and conduct gender-disaggregated research on impact of HIV/AIDS on work force

Conduct study on knowledge attitudes and practices relating to HIV in the workplaces

Federal Ministry of Science and Technology

Build capacity at all levels for identification, assessment and evaluation of new indigenous knowledge, innovations and technologies adaptable for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

Facilitate capacity building within the sector for programme personnel in result-based management, monitoring and evaluation to ensure focus on measurable and verifiable deliverables of activities

Develop and disseminate appropriate guidelines for HIV related research and knowledge sharing for the sector
Partner with relevant private and public sector stakeholders for the strengthening of HIV/AIDS related research

National Sports Commission

Mainstream HIV/AIDS into all sports sector programmes and sporting events
Develop and implement a sectoral policy and intervention plan on HIV/AIDS

Implement targeted prevention and behavioral change communication programmes in the sector
Produce age-appropriate, gender and culturally–sensitive information materials in major languages for nation-wide dissemination during sporting events and venues with focus on ministry staff, sports men and women
Build capacity for peer education for sports men and women

Adopt and implement HIV/AIDS workplace intervention throughout the sports sector

Federal Ministry of Transportation

Develop and implement multi-sectoral HIV transport policy and implementation plan

Implement prevention and behavioral change communication targeting transport/construction workers, communities in junction towns and other related host communities
Produce age-appropriate, gender and culturally–sensitive information materials in major languages for nation-wide dissemination with focus on transport hubs and host communities

Establishment of counseling centres in collaboration with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW)

Establish condom distribution programmes in motor/train/boat parks and junction towns

Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation

Build capacity at Federal, State and Local Government Levels to mainstream HIV/AIDS into the culture and tourism sector
Promote community level implementation of the Nigerian HIV/AIDS BCC Strategy through national orientation activities
Facilitate development and dissemination of culturally sensitive HIV prevention information and integration into other related services

Domesticate the National HIV/AIDS workplace policy for the culture and tourism sector

Establish sector-wide coordination mechanisms for HIV programming

Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development

Creating an enabling policy environment for an effective and gender sensitive national HIV and AIDS response
Strengthen support programmes for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) including the provision of access to education and HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support services
Advocate for and promote mainstreaming of gender and HIV into programmes of all line ministries

Federal Ministry of Youth Development

Mainstream HIV/AIDS into all youth development programmes
Step down and implementation of sector’s policy and intervention plan on HIV/AIDS

Implement prevention and behavioral change communication targeting youth
Produce age-appropriate, gender and culturally–sensitive information materials in major languages for nation-wide dissemination with focus on out of school youth
Build capacity for peer education among youth
Establish linkages and strengthen capacity of youth-focused non-government organizations for community based action

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