WEEKLY BULLETIN The National Empowerment Network of PLHIV in Kenya (NEPHAK) say yes to life say yes to life say yes to life say yes to life 24th – 30th May 2015 Edition 21 Time for Institutional Strengthening Devolving Health: Governors Need More Action and Less Talk. and Reflection at NEPHAK. A head of the Annual General Meeting next week, the leadership of NEPHAK last week re-treated to Nakuru town to review its key governance and management policies and develop new ones. The 5 – day meeting brought together both the board and the management of NEPHAK (see photo below) and was supported by Trocaire which has been NEPHAK partner since 2012. As the Governors went for the elections of the Chair of the Council of Governors, one issue that occupied them is the issue of health. This is because some Members of Parliament and Senators, including a few professional bodies have openly asked that health should not be devolved but should be refered back to the national Government. The Governors wont hear any of this. However, it is our opinion at NEPHAK that if Governors want to retain heath and health care as devolved functions, then they need not say it but need to act in a manner that is supportive of the health sector: alloctate more resources, respect and health professionals, including health care workers and work closely with CSOs, including communities. Meeting Particpents in Group Photo. The meeting endede with a revised Constitution, revised Board Manual, revised Finance, Procurement and Adminsitration Manuals as well as Risk Management plans. In addition, the network developed its gender and child protection policies. The revised and new policies shall now be ratified at the Annual General Meeting scheduled for the 29th May 2015. For example, while we know resources supporting HIV programming are mainly coming from external partners, it is high time county government invested in community based programmes that educate people around HIV prevention and care. Secondly, what direct support have counties given to the First adys Beyond Zero Initiative? This is the task that faces the new Council of Governors leadership. Sauti Skika ALHIV Team Think Charity Should Begin at Home! And in an interesting development, adolescents andyoung people infected and affected by HIV under the Sauti Skika Initiative now want to be part of NEPHAK Board. According to an email sent to NEPHAK Board Chair, the Sauti Skika team have requested for 2 slots in the board of NEPHAK. This, and other items will be discussed at the NEPHAK AGM this week. Hand-over after the CoG Chair elections. FACTBOX: According to the lastest communication from the Global Fund Secretariat to Kenya CCM leadership, the final upper ceiling funding amount for grant-malking approved by the Secretatriat’s Grant approvals Committee (GAC) for Kenya Single TB/HIV Concept Note is US$ 249,644,557. TB/HIV Concept Note to GF Makes it to Grant Making Stage Hope for PLHIV Community as Stigma Index Global partners Unite. The Single TB/HIV Concept Note to the Global Fund wil now proceed to the Grant Making Stage. This development was communicated to the Kenya CCM leadership by the Global Fund Secretariat last week. As such, PLHIV and communities, including representatives of key populations who have been part of the Concept Note dialogue process should prepare to actively engage in the grant-making stage. The hope for getting credible evidence to ensure HIV stigma reduction has been revived with the renewed partnership by the ICW, GNP+ and UNAIDS who have been championing PLHIV Stigma Index at the global level. During grant-making stage, he Global Fund Secretariat works with the national team and especially organizations selected by a Country Coordinating Mechanism to manage the grants (known as Principal Recipients) to transform technically sound concept notes into disbursementready grants. The Principal Recipient and Secretariat country team also work jointly to develop a Performance Framework, Budget and Work Plan. The Kenya CCM already nominated the National Treasury as Government PR and AMREF and Kenya Red Cross Society as PRs for CSOs. Country dialogue should continue into grant making to ensure that the input of those who will benefit from the programs is taken into account in their detailed design and that the latest technical and operational guidance is used. The grant will again go through a second review by the Grant Approvals Committee before it is presented to the Board for approval. Since the development of the Joint TB/HIV Concept Note was based on broad and all-inclusive consultations, the same is expected to continue during the grant-making stage. In preparations for this, NEPHAK and partners will be working to prepare PLHIV and community representatives take lead on this stage of the grant-making and to provide feedback to the wider constituency. It is during this stage that expertise and experience of PLHIV and community leaders is needed to ensure issues of gender, human rigthts and related soft issues get into the grants workplans and budgets. NEPHAK Weekly Bulletin However, as the global partners renew their commitment to work on HIV related stigma, the first greatest challenge is that there is currently no specific grant to support the international coordination of the Stigma Index programme, and concomitantly, there is also no dedicated coordinator in place. The renewed global partnership on sstigma initiatives comes at a time when the global community have rallied their energies and thoughts around the 90: 90: 90 targets and which there is an acknowledgement that cannot be achieved without stigma reduction. NN WHO Revised Treatment Gudilenes: Get Involved. The World Health Organization and partners is calling upon PLHIV and affected communities interested in HIV treatment and preventionwants you to participate in a small survey! The WHO HIV department is currently preparing an update of the 2013 consolidated guidelines for the use of antiretrovirals. The information you provide will be collected and summarised by the Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+) for use in the WHO Guideline Development Group meeting to be held in June 2015. Get survey on the link: www.surveymonkey.com/s/WHOsurvey_EN The information will also provide direction and content for the service delivery section of the Guideline. This survey contains 9 questions and should take as little as 10 minutes to complete. All your answers will be treated anonymously and confidentially. If you have any questions please contact Victoria Clarke, External Relations and Communications Officer at GNP+ at [email protected]. rd is published by the Advocacy and Communications Department at the national Secretariat, 3 Flr, Wood Avenue Court, Wood Avenue off Argwings Kodhek/Lenana Rd, Nairobi. Articles can be reproduced freely as long as NEPHAK is acknowledged. Further details can be obtained from the Editor, P. O. Box 75654-00200 Nairobi. 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