Time to get to work

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In order for the new NSP to make a meaningful impact, it must move beyond a mere policy document and into our clinics, institutions and communities. This will require that provinces take the necessary steps towards ensuring that implementation commences by the April 2012 deadline.

Implementation planning should be as inclusive as possible. Once provincial strategic implementation plans have been produced, these plans should be made available to the public so that civil society can engage with the implementation process and offer feedback on proposed implementation plans.
Progress towards meeting the targets of the NSP will need to be rigorously monitored and regular reporting should be encouraged.
Efforts to hold the state, other institutions and ourselves accountable to the vision of the new NSP must continue beyond the document’s release on December 1st.

01 December 2011: World AIDS Day

Launch of South Africa’s 2012-2016 National Strategic Plan for HIV and AIDS, STIs and TB.
The NSP will provide a framework to guide the activities of partners whose work is relevant to the three epidemics of HIV, STIs and TB in South Africa.

January 2012

National AIDS Council Task Team Reports
In September 2011 the Chairperson of SANAC, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, appointed a high-level task team that will make recommendations on how the South African National AIDS Council must be strengthened and restructured. Members of the task team include: Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba and Judge Thabani Jali.
The efficient functioning of SANAC is essential to the success of the new NSP. We will carefully monitor the work and recommendations of this task team and report back in our next issue. The task team is due to report in January 2012.

24 March 2012: World TB Day

Launch of the provincial strategic implementation plans.
The NSP itself is not an operational plan. Provinces and other partners will need to develop their own operational plans in advance of the NSP implementation date. Provincial AIDS Councils and National Government Departments will draw up strategies and implementation plans that describe exactly how they will implement the four strategic objectives of the NSP. The costed implementation plans must be complete by the end of March 2012.

01 April 2012

Implementation commences