Effective coordination and institutional management is at the centre of an effective state response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Prior to the establishment of ENSACA, the State AIDS programme coordinator managed the state response from the State Ministry of Health with pockets of responses existing in some line Ministries but not centrally coordinated. The establishment of ENSACA is in the spirit of a multisectoral arrangement to ensure appropriate response coordination and management of the epidemic.

This Technical Working Group looked at institutional arrangements and capacities, roles and responsibilities, coordination mechanisms and management arrangements within the State HIV/AIDS Programme response. The group reviewed several baseline studies and document relating to institutional arrangements existing in the state to determine if appropriate coordination mechanisms, costing strategy and resource mobilization instruments, administrative, personnel and financial management systems are in place.  From the identified current or existing responses, the group identified gaps in those responses, prioritized the gaps in terms of immediate, mid-term and long-term gaps and finally produced recommendations based on the prioritized issues that should be addressed.

Key findings

• Prior to the establishment of ENSACA HIV/AIDS responses in the state were coordinated by the State AIDS programme Coordinator of the State Ministry of Health.
• Enugu State Action Committee on AIDS was established in 2003 with an initial board membership of 9 persons. The board membership was later increased to 26 to include expanded stakeholders’ interests. The initiative to reconstitute the board was mandated by the Executive Governor of the State.
• ENSACA secretariat is functional with an Executive Secretary responsible for the day to day management of the office. Other staff of the secretariat include: an administrative officer, confidential secretary, finance officer, laboratory technologist, driver, a security guard, a camera man and a cleaner.
• SNR has been providing technical, human and financial resources for capacity development for members of staff of ENSACA and some members of the board since September 2005
• ENSACA office has been renovated with support from DFID/PATHS
• There is demonstrated political will by Government to support ENSACA and the HIV/AIDS initiative in the state
• Community Action Committees on AIDS (CACA) were set up in 17 communities by DFID.