State AIDS Control Society [SACS]

National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) provides leadership to HIV/AIDS Control Programme in India, implementing one National Plan within one monitoring system. State AIDS Prevention and Control Societies (SACS) implement the NACO programme at the state level, but have functional independence to upscale and innovate.

SACS Structure

SACS are autonomous and decentralised. Each SACS has a governing body, its highest policy-making structure, headed either by the minister in charge of health or the chief secretary. 

It has onboard representatives from key government departments, civil society, trade and industry, the private health sector and  People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) networks, who meet twice a year. 

It approves new policy initiatives, annual plans and budget, appoints statutory auditors and accepts the annual audit report. For better financial and operational efficiency, administrative and financial powers are vested in the Executive Committee and the Programme Director.

Functions of SACS 

•      Medical and public health service
•      Communication and social sector services
•      Administration, planning, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, finance and procurement.

With the setting up of the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit (DAPCU) under the National AIDS Control Programme-III (NACP-III), there will be an increased emphasis on improving coordination functions at the state level in supporting the programme implementation at the district level.

The specific roles of SACS with respect to TB and HIV collaborative activities are:

1.       SACS ensures smooth implementation and regular review of TB/HIV collaborative activities, chaired by the Principal Health Secretary by organising coordination committee meetings twice on a biannual basis.
2.       The State Working Group (SWG) is organised by SACS at least once in a quarter to review and streamline the TB/HIV collaborative activities.
3.         In order to strengthen the field-level collaborative activities, joint field visits are undertaken by the SACS & State TB Centre (STC) to at least one district every quarter.
4.       The SACS is also a part of an annual review of the TB/HIV collaborative activities organized by the state in coordination with SACs.
5.       Trainings on TB/HIV are an integral part of NACP and National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) activities. Budgets for the training of staff are borne by SACS for their programme personnel.
6.       The supply of Cotrimoxazole Preventive Therapy (CPT) is procured and packaged into monthly pouches by SACS and the local distribution is carried out by NTEP in coordination with NACP.

Resources

• SACS, National AIDS Control Organisation.

Assessment