UN in Ethiopia :: Thematic Working Areas

Thematic Working Areas

UNDAF HIV/AIDS TWG

The Joint UN Team on AIDS

The Joint UN Programme of Support on AIDS for 2007-2011 is the entirety of the UN’s support to the National Response to AIDS in Ethiopia as first articulated in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for Ethiopia from 2007-2011.

The Joint Programme of Support strategically prioritized the objectives of Ethiopia’s Strategic Plan for Multisectoral HIV/AIDS Response 2004-08 (SPM) and the 2007-2010 Multisectoral Plan of Action for Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support most aligned with the comparative advantages of 12 UN organizations:

Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
International Labor Organization (ILO)
Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Organization of Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO)
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
World Food Programme (WFP)
World Health Organization (WHO)
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
The World Bank

To implement the Joint Programme these organizations work together as the Joint UN Team on AIDS. All UN staffs working full- or part-time on AIDS come together as the Joint UN Team on AIDS. Currently the team has 75 members (35 full time working on AIDS)

The Joint Team works under the authority of the UN Resident Coordinator System and the overall guidance of the UN Country Team. The UNAIDS Country Coordinator serves as convener of the AIDS Team and has responsibility for its effective functioning and the development of annual work plans.

Roles and responsibilities of the Joint UN Team on AIDS

The Joint UN Team on AIDS was established to promote coherent and effective UN action in support of an expanded national response to HIV and take on the following roles and responsibilities:

Support the national AIDS coordinating authority in its efforts to implement an accelerated national response and resolve impediments to implementation;
Serve as an entry point for stakeholders in the AIDS response to access technical assistance from the UN system;
Coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Joint UN Programme of Support on AIDS;
Provide technical advice to the UN Management Committee on AIDS and follow up its decisions;
Assist the UN Management Committee in its function of liaison with global and regional mechanisms

The Joint Team operates through the UN Core Group on AIDS and six Implementation Support Task Forces. The UN Core Group consists of HIV/AIDS focal points from 12 UN organizations. It leads and coordinates the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Joint Programme of Support, and ensures that outputs are delivered as agreed. The entire Joint UN team on AIDS meets quarterly. The UN Core Group and Implementation Support task Forces meet fortnightly.

The Implementation Support Task Forces facilitate and support the development, implementation and monitoring of the Joint Programme of Support within their designated thematic areas. The thematic areas of the ISTFs are based on UNDAF thematic/output and technical support areas, namely:

Leadership, mainstreaming and coordination
HIV Prevention
HIV treatment, care and support
Woreda support
Emergency response
The UN Learning Strategy

The specific roles and responsibilities of ISTFs are:

Support and facilitate the planning, implementation and monitoring of Joint UN Programme of Support in the designated areas
Act as points of contact for government and other stakeholders requiring technical assistance
Coordinate and facilitate partners’ timely access to technical support
Mobilize financial resources for a scaled-up national response.
Represent the Joint Team in agreed national and sub-national forums and report to the Core Group.
The UNAIDS Country Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the linkages between the various Implementation Support Task Forces and the overall coordination the Joint UN Team on AIDS.

Some of Joint Team support to the national response to date

Leadership, Coordination and Mainstreaming

The new Multi sectoral Plan of Action sets ambitious targets in line with the country efforts towards Universal access by 2010 and the Regions are using the plan to develop their annual plans. The plan represents a major step towards the realization of the ‘Three Ones’ principles. The NSP is harmonized with the PASDEP and fully costed and budgeted (2007). UNGASS report for 2007 has been submitted.
Joint quarterly reviews have been conducted to appraise implementation of the Joint Federal and Regional HAPCO annual plans. A partnership forum at national and regional level support has been enhanced.
Ongoing plan for a Joint inclusive annual review with all partners involving national and regional level HAPCOs and sector in next quarter. This will provide basis for reprogramming.
Mainstreaming guidelines and tools have been developed and translated into Amharic and in use by public, private and CSO sector organizations. Transport companies capacities have been enhanced to develop and implement programmes.
Health and Education sectors have developed HIV and AIDS policies and programmes to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS.
Civil society and networks of people living with HIV and AIDS were actively engaged in the review and development of key national documents.

Woreda Support – Social mobilization

Essential package of capacity building tools and instruments to be used at District level has defined. Social Mobilization strategy implementation guideline and rollout plan has been developed.
National social mobilization strategy under implementation.
UN is providing support to 156 Districts to build their capacity and scale up comprehensive HIV Prevention, treatment, care and support services

Prevention and protection

Prevention needs of Refugees, internally displaced persons, drought affected populations have been included into the national HIV and AIDS policy. PMTCT and OVC guidelines have been finalized disseminated and rolled out in PMTCT sites.
Education sectoral policy on HIV prevention for young people has been developed and under implementation. Condom programming training conducted for Federal and regional HAPCOs.

Treatment Care and Support

National ART implementation guideline, and clinical guidelines on ART including a focus on pediatric AIDS and PMTCT+ have been updated, disseminated to and being utilized in all regions.
National and regional care and treatment rollout plans developed (2007) Treatment, care and support in the pre-service training of health and development workers.
Regional training teams established for capacity development of community based service providers (including young people) established (2007)
Technical and institutional capacity of refugee camp health facilities have been enhanced to provide clinical care to PLWHA. Urban nutritional support to PLWHAs , OVC and affected populations scaled up