US embassy cable - 02ABUJA693

UNCLAS ABUJA 000693 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR AF/EPS: DRIANO; OES/IHA:KAUFMANN; USAID/AFR:RROGERS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KHIV, EAID, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: GLOBAL FUND PROPOSALS FORTHCOMING 
 
REF: (A) STATE 23248 (B) STATE 30290 
 
 
The Economic and Political sections consulted with USAID and 
CDC Nigeria to gather information in response to Ref B. 
 
 
(A) It appears that the highest levels of the GON have been 
aware of the Global Fund request for proposals for some time, 
although the March 10 deadline was less widely understood. 
The President recently instructed the Minister of Health, who 
is ex-officio Secretary to the Presidential Committee on 
AIDS, to submit proposals before that deadline. 
 
 
(B) According to Ministry of Health officials, NGOs and civil 
society will not have an opportunity to provide input for 
this first round of proposals.  However, civil society will 
be asked to contribute to the second tranche due June 2002. 
 
 
(C) The Process: 
 
 
The GON, under the leadership of the Minister of Health, has 
completed proposals for malaria and tuberculosis and is 
currently drafting HIV/AIDS proposals.  Specifics for the 
malaria and TB proposals are not known.  The HIV/AIDS 
proposals will likely revolve around (1) prevention and (2) 
care and support.  Care and support programs would focus on 
voluntary counseling and testing; anti-retroviral access; and 
prevention of mother-to-child transmission.  The National 
Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) is responsible for drafting 
the HIV/AIDs proposals and will submit them to the Minister 
of Health before approval by the President. 
 
 
NACA is a multi-sectoral body comprised of 10 federal 
ministries augmented by NGO participation and established as 
part of the national strategy to combat HIV/AIDS.  The 
creation of NACA enables the GON to participate in the World 
Bank's Multi-sectoral AIDS Program (MAP), resulting in the 
provision of USD 90 million in IDA credits for FY2001/02. 
NACA will disburse these funds, as well as USD 40 million of 
GON funds for HIV/AIDS, through the State Action Committees 
(SACAs) to civil society and Local Government Action 
Committees (LACAs).  Programs at the State and local levels 
are coordinated and overseen by NACA. 
 
 
One criterion for the Global Fund proposals is the formation 
of a Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM).  NACA could 
qualify as a Country Coordination Mechanism, but the Minister 
of Health has decided to create a new mechanism.  The reasons 
behind this decision are not known, but could be due to 
bureaucratic politics as the relationship between the Health 
Ministry and NACA has not always been smooth. 
 
 
(D) The GON does not require assistance to submit proposals. 
 
 
(E) The Ministry of Health asked the CDC to assist in the 
preparation of the tuberculosis proposals.  However, CDC 
representatives were out of the country at that time and 
were, therefore, unable to assist. 
 
 
(F) The GON requested input from the wider donor community on 
the tuberculosis proposals.  For the malaria proposals, the 
GON requested assistance from UNICEF and BASICS, a USAID 
implementing partner, and both provided input.  The GON is 
working with UNAIDS on the HIV/AIDS proposals. 
 
 
(G) The GON is aware of the search for an Executive Director, 
but has not announced any intention to submit a candidate. 
Jeter