VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLG #0291/01 0890931
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300931Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2575
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA SZ 0169

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000291 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/GAC, AF/S 
STATE PLEASE PASS HHS FOR STEIGER, HHS/CDC 
USAID FOR GH/AA, GH/OA, GH/HIV-AIDS, AFR/SA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID KHIV MI
SUBJECT: MALAWI NATIONAL HIV/AIDS REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS 
COORDINATION AND DECENTRALIZATION 
 
¶1. Summary: Malawi's National AIDS Commission has convened 
the first review of the national response to HIV and AIDS 
for the year 2005-06.  The conference highlighted positive 
developments in coordination among all partners, as well as 
the decentralization of the HIV/AIDS response to the 
district levels.  Challenges identified during the review 
included the need for greater engagement of key government 
ministries, and the lack of capacity among district 
assemblies to plan and implement the HIV/AIDS response.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2. On March 21 the Malawi National AIDS Commission convened 
the first six-month review of the national response to HIV 
and AIDS for the year 2005-06. The five day conference was 
the first full meeting of the Malawi HIV and AIDS 
Partnership Forum that was endorsed at the last review in 
September 2005. The Partnership Forum draws representation 
from all sectors: public institutions and organizations; the 
private sector; national and international non-governmental 
organizations; community and faith based organizations; 
development partners; and interest groups such women, young 
people and people living with HIV and AIDS. 
 
¶3. The general objective of this review is to analyze 
achievements made in the six-month period from July to 
December 2005, and identify key challenges affecting 
implementation and outline action for improvement. The six- 
month review focused on decentralization of the HIV/AIDS 
response. 
 
¶4. The Review will: 
 
- Provide National AIDS Commission with an independent 
opinion on the progress that the Commission has made in 
coordinating implementation of its Integrated Annual Work 
Plan 
 
- Provide the Commission with qualitative feedback on 
selected themes critical to achieving set national 
objectives 
 
- Identify successful interventions and approaches that 
merit expansion and areas requiring remedial action. 
 
- Provide critical data and information useful to adjusting 
and re-focusing the annual work plan 
 
- Provide information, data and experiences that help assess 
implementation of the National HIV and AIDS Policy and HIV 
and AIDS Action Framework for Malawi. 
 
Outcomes and action points from the review will be captured 
in an Aide Memoire that will be finalized by the Partnership 
Forum and presented to the NAC Board. 
 
¶5.  This third review showed greater maturity and growth in 
both organization and content. Compared to previous ones, it 
was well organized and was attended by a representative 
spectrum of stakeholders. The commitments of both newly 
appointed Chairs of the NAC Board and the Partnership Forum, 
who stayed and actively participated throughout the review, 
were greatly appreciated. 
 
¶6. There was, however, an under-representation of key 
ministries (health, education, gender and finance). The 
ministries are the major recipients of NAC funding and have 
had perennial implementation problems that negatively impact 
on all other implementers. The level and active participation 
of these ministries should be given higher priority in the 
next review, including the opportunity to present progress of 
their own programs in plenary. 
 
¶7. The presence of the District Commissioners added great 
value to the discussions on decentralization of the response, 
especially the practical challenges of transitioning of 
responsibilities from Umbrella Organizations to District 
Assembles. There was an open environment for exchange of views 
and inclusion of NGOs, CBOs and private sector representation. 
A main issue of the review was limited capacity of the DAs to 
plan for and implement AIDS response.  A major issue was DA 
capacity to act as grants management facility for Global Fund 
and other development partner funds in funding community level 
activities, a critical aspect of the response. The development 
of this capacity over the next two years was the main concern 
of the review. 
 
¶8. The Aide Memoire for the HIV and AIDS response review will 
be released in early April, coordinated with the release of 
 
the Aide Memoire from a scheduled Health Sector six-monthly 
review. 
GILMOUR