The National HIV/AIDS Control Programme is one of the specialized programmes within the Ministry of Health. It functions under the Office of The President. The Programme was established in 2000/1 to strengthen HIV/AIDS prevention activities.
The national HIV/AIDS Control Programme (NACP) is involved in the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS strategic plan and provides technical support to the National AIDS Secretariat.
The goal of the national HIV/AIDS control programme is to reduce the prevalence of the disease and mitigate its impact on the general population. Specifically, the programme has the following broad objectives:
- To increase knowledge and promote behaviour change on HIV/AIDS through appropriate communication channels
- To prevent HIV/AIDS transmission by ensuring the availability of safe blood nationwide
- To provide knowledge and skills on HIV/AIDS prevention to youths
- To increase access and promote the correct and consistent use of condoms in the general population and among vulnerable groups
- To strengthen and expand services for sexually transmitted infections
- To reduce the transmission of HIV from parent to child through the provision of services for the prevention of parent-child Transmission. (PPTCT)
- To improve access to and utilization of VCCT services
- To improve access to and utilization of ARVs.
- To strengthen and expand the national capacity to design, implement monitor and evaluate HIV/AIDS programmes in the country
Key programme interventions
- Voluntary confidential counselling and testing (VCCT),
- Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) including Paediatric HIV care
- Blood safety
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART)
- Surveillance, monitoring and evaluation
- Condom promotion (male and female)
- Syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Management of Opportunistic Infections (OIs)
- Management of Medical Waste
- IEC/BCC
- Nutritional support to HIV-positive pregnant and lactating mothers and children
Partnership
The National HIV/AIDS Control Programme (NACP) works in close partnership with the Hands On Care (HOC), National Leprosy and TB Control Programme (NLTP), Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), Directorate of Planning and Information (DPI), UNICEF, WHO, WFP and other non-governmental organizations. Funding to the programme is provided mainly by the government of The Gambia through its budgetary allocations and the Global Fund for HIV, TB and Malaria
