Partnerships

(i) SANASO partnership with SADC - HSCU

SANASO has established links with the intergovernmental agency, Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) - Health Sector Coordinating Unit, to be in a strategic position to constantly remind SADC governments to fully implement provisions of International conventions on HIV/AIDS to which they have assented.

(ii) SANASO Partnership with UNDP
UNDP Partnership with African Civil Society Networks

SANASO undertook to work in partnership with UNDP in the area of mainstreaming Gender and Human Rights in HIV/AIDS work in Southern Africa. Following the Regional Workshop which was supported by SAIH, Sida, UNAIDS and UNDP, three SANASO member countries were selected to implement follow-up country level activities on mainstreaming Gender and human rights in Botswana, Malawi and Swaziland. Lesotho, Swaziland.

(iii) SANASO Dialogue with Action Aid

Action Aid won the Department for International Development (DFID) bid for the Support to the International Partnership Against AIDS in Africa (SIPAA) Project. With facilitation from UNAIDS ICT ESA, Action Aid reviewed SANASO Proposal on reduction of HIV/AIDS related Stigma and expressed interest in discussing possibilities of partnership in its funding and implementation. SANASO was invited by Action Aid to participate in the SIPAA Bahaviour Change Communication (BCC) Stigma Reduction Planning Workshop held on 21 - 23 January 2003 in Nairobi, Kenya. It was an opportunity for SANASO to understand better Action Aid’s SIPAA Programme component on BCC/Stigma reduction and agree on the direction of the potential partnership.

(iv) Support from Treatment Action Group

Treatment Action Group (TAG) New York, USA, organized a satellite workshop on TB/HIV co-infection education and community mobilization in collaboration with the STOP TB DOTS Expansion Working Group during the 33rd International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) Conference on 5 October 2002 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Eight of the 29 participants invited to this workshop were from the SANASO Network from countries with high HIV prevalence and Tuberculosis incidence. The workshop included presentations on tuberculosis epidemiology, natural history and treatment: HIV disease and treatment: strategies for coordinating TB and HIV medical care and services: and community mobilization models and strategies. Plenary presentations were followed by group work to discuss opportunities and challenges in addressing TB/HIV co-infection in different countries.

Follow-up Plans

Botswana: BONASO planned to develop a community mobilization strategy on TB/HIV co-infection during their Annual meeting in October 2002

Malawi: MANASO intended to develop a plan for Isoniazid (INH) and Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis through a home based care programme and a Plan to integrate TB and HIV care (including HAART) at the district level; and create an action plan for a coordinated country-level response to TB/HIV in consultation with other TB Clinicians and Researchers.

Zambia: ZNAN planned to hold a TB/HIV concert for 400 students at a Teacher’s college in Lusaka. They would also initiate outreach activities on TB/HIV co-infection, hold a workshop to train outreach workers on TB/HIV co-infection and incorporate TB/HIV health education into a Research Project on “delays in TB diagnosis and initiation of treatment”

(v) Support from AfriCASO
AfriCASO Project to strengthen Community groups in preparation for HIV Vaccine development process in Africa

With support from UNAIDS/WHO HIV Vaccine Initiative and technical collaboration from ICASO, AfriCASO organized a Regional Capacity-building Workshop on Community preparedness for HIV Vaccines on 29 - 31 May 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya. Five participants from 5 SANASO member countries (South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi) were invited to the workshop. The goals of the workshop were to promote meaningful involvement of communities in HIV Vaccine development, address some critical ethical issues on Vaccine development and discuss the major concerns that had been raised in the initial Vaccine Development Meeting in Pretoria in March, 2000. Participants were educated on basic science and community involvement in HIV Vaccine development and testing and introduced to the African AIDS Vaccine Programme (AAVP) which is a Network of African Scientists working to promote and facilitate HIV Vaccine research and Evaluation in Africa through capacity building and regional and international collaboration. The current HIV Vaccine Trials in Africa are taking place in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

(vi) Support from UNAIDS

UNAIDS Technical Network Development (TND) Unit (Geneva): People Connector Project

SANASO and other selected Networks were invited by UNAIDS TND Unit (Geneva) to a Peer Review meeting held on 27/28 February 2002 and introduced to the UNAIDS initiative on a Global Database for AIDS Competence, and the purpose of TND. The People Connecter Project was elaborated and SANASO agreed to be part of the Project but pointed out its challenge of limited information technology. UNAIDS undertook to support SANASO to develop its communications infrastructure i.e. computers e-mail, internet and training of SANASO member organizations.
Following the initial invitation, SANASO was invited to participate in a panel discussion on the People Connector Project at a satellite meeting during the Conference on Sustainable Development in the Knowledge Era held in Geneva on 30 October - 1st November 2002 during which the Project was presented to potential donors.

UNAIDS Inter-country Team for Eastern and Southern Africa (ICT ESA) , Pretoria : Technical Assistance to SANASO for proposal submission to the Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)

UNAIDS ICT ESA invited SANASO to its sub-regional Consultative Meeting on the Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM): Review and Way Forward on 15 - 16 April 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya. The purpose of the meeting was to share experiences from the successes, failures/difficulties and processes employed in the 1st Round of Proposals to the GFATM, and to draw lessons learnt from these experiences in order to plan better for future submissions as well as determine the involvement of partners such as the UN and determine the demand for technical assistance from the various countries and civil society. The workshop helped SANASO Secretariat realize why its Proposal was not accepted. UNAIDS ICT ESA has undertaken to support SANASO by providing a technical expert to assist SANASO compile its Proposal to the GFATM. The Consultant will start working with SANASO Secretariat early in 2003 aiming to submit the Proposal for the 3rd Round.

UNAIDS ICT ESA Technical Support to SANASO on Gender & Human Rights mainstreaming for new Leadership in HIV/AIDS work in Southern Africa

UNAIDS ICT provided financial support for facilitators who trained SANASO participants on Gender and Human Rights mainstreaming for new Leadership in HIV/AIDS work on 14 - 18 October 2002.

UNAIDS ICT ESA: Involvement of SANASO in a Consultation Meeting on HIV/AIDS and the Southern Africa Humanitarian Crisis

SANASO joined the thematic area of Information and Advocacy which made the following recommendations:

 

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