Parliament Joins Hands With NAC in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS

The Clerk of the National Assembly, Mrs Doris K Mwiinga, has revealed that National Assembly has partnered with the National AIDS Council (NAC) in the implementation of the SADC protocol on Health. This came to light during a meeting on HIV/AIDS sustainable financing held at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday, 17th June, 2015. 

She explained that through this Protocol, the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF) had set up a desk to work hand in hand with the National AIDS Council to spearhead the fight against HIV/AIDS in Zambia.

And speaking at the same event, NAC Executive Director, Dr Jabbins Mulwanda reiterated the need to have concerted efforts in curbing the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  He added that significant progress had been made in the past decade in mitigating the negative effects of HIV/AIDS, but much still needed to be done.  Dr Mulwanda indicated that the SADC PF project has come at the right time when external financing for the fight against the scourge is dwindling.

In 2003, SADC Heads of State and Governments adopted the Maseru Declaration on HIV/AIDS which led to the signing of the SADC Protocol on Health which ranks the fight against HIV/AIDS high among its priorities.  In this regard, funds were released to the SADC PF HIV/AIDS Department in order to operationalise the commitment. The meeting was, therefore, called to work out administrative logistics and financing mechanisms on how to strengthen the fight against HIV/AIDS Zambia.