ACTIVITY NARRATIVE:

ENHANSE is a national level integrated project with the mandate to create an enabling environment for

HIV/AIDS, and TB. The activity's emphasis is on policy/plans development and utilization. It also focuses

on the use of accurate and strategic information to inform the policy and planning process and to leverage

organized private sector support and resources for national HIV/AIDS programs as well as improve the

political will and commitment of key national leaders.

A major issue in the HIV/AIDS epidemic is the large number of orphan children who have lost one or both

parents as a result of HIV or are made vulnerable by the demands imposed by the infection on one or both

parents. The work of ENHANSE in the OVC program area is a policy effort to ensure that a national

enabling environment to care for the OVC is created.

The major partners in the OVC program implementation are the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs (FMWA),

Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Federal Ministry of

Education (FME), and Federal Ministry of Information (FMOI) OVC Desk officers. Others would include the

National Human Rights Commission and the Legal AID Council, National Primary Health Care Development

Agency, National Population Council, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), CSOs, FBOs,

Bilateral and Multilateral organizations.

Activities for COP08 will build on COP07, namely in systems strengthening activities for the FMWA-OVC

Unit to increase their capacity for national leadership in addressing OVC issues and integrating other

programs that have strong focus on the needs of vulnerable children.

The use of accurate data to inform program implementation is crucial to program success. ENHANSE will

support the FMWA to widely distribute and disseminate the OVC National Plan of Action (NPA), and

facilitate the development of an implementation framework and a child-friendly version of the five-year plan

written at the level of a secondary school reader. TA to determine the policy and program implications of

data from the about to be conducted National Situational Analysis on OVC, will be provided. ENHANSE will

also collaborate with UNICEF and other partners to print and disseminate the National Children policy. The

Child Status Index (CSI) which is used to evaluate the correlation between program services and a child's

well being in order to ensure that individual children receive appropriate assistance will be harmonized with

the already developed Nigeria OVC Vulnerability Index. Whilst MEASURE Evaluation will provide the TA to

harmonize the two tools, ENHANSE assist in the printing and dissemination of the harmonized version.

To address GON manpower challenges, ENHANSE will support strategic embedding of one long term

consultant in FMWA. The consultant will provide technical oversight of, and additional support for, M&E

activities within the Ministry, thereby improving the quality of implementation and reporting. Opportunities

will be provided for capacity building for key staff and OVC Desk officers of our key partner organizations in

the public and private sectors, in areas including data use, policy development, program management and

decision making including how to use the CSI. Trainings will address strategic planning, networking, and

resource mobilization.

National civil society organization (CSO) networks and coalitions (e.g. CISHAN, AONN, NEPWHAN, etc),

and faith based organizations (both Christian and Muslim), will be supported via grants and technical input

to develop policies and guidelines that address the OVC challenges within their various organizations.

Select private sector coalitions like the Nigerian Business Coalition will also receive TA to develop

operational guidelines for their OVC programs. Training will also be provided to the above and other key

stakeholders on issues related to OVC, stigma and discrimination. As OVC face a lot of stigma and

discrimination especially in schools, the FME will be supported to conduct training for members of

Association of Nigerian Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) and of Committee of Heads of

Primary Schools in Nigeria (COPSHON) on stigma, OVC issues, and age-appropriate prevention messages

for children. Capacity building on child participation and protection, and gender and gender mainstreaming

in OVC programs will be facilitated for the National OVC implementation team and USG supported OVC IPs

in collaboration with UNICEF, Save the Children UK, and the Canadian International Development Agency

(CIDA).

To ensure accurate reporting of OVC issues, ENHANSE will support through its Journalism Development

Program, media tours for journalists to USG supported OVC households, facilities, and communities, as

well as workshops, roundtables, and mentoring, all of which provide journalists from the print and electronic

media greater understanding of issues affecting OVC and the interventions to address them.

ENHANSE will support the formation of an OVC Advocates forum made up of children who are either

orphaned or vulnerable to enable them to champion their issues and promote the reduction of stigma and

discrimination while also providing psychosocial and group support for themselves. FMWA will be supported

to identify and train these children in advocacy and policy dialogue thus increasing OVC participation in

decision making. Utilizing the advocacy kits and harmonized messages developed in COP07, OVC desk

officers in Federal and State Ministries of Women Affairs will be trained on advocacy to strengthen their

capacity to advocate for the implementation of the OVC National Plan of Action with key state level policy

makers and the legislature. ENHANSE will support FMWA in the zonal sensitization and training of desk

officers/CSOs and other sectors on programming for OVC. Key CSOs will also be trained to improve their

advocacy and policy dialogue skills especially with the incoming administration.

ENHANSE will also work with the FMWA to develop mechanisms for registering and supervising

orphanages within the country. FMWA will also be strengthened to improve their ability to work with

multisectoral partners, providing services at the three tiers of government especially in health and

education. This will be actualized through work with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency,

and the Universal Basic Education Commission so that OVC in all parts of the country receive the same

quality of services as available to all other children. The National Population Commission will also be

sensitized to recognize their role as a critical stakeholder in the OVC national response especially as it

relates to birth registration for orphans and the provision of accurate national population data and statistics

to inform proper planning for the OVC national response. In COP08, 10 individuals will be trained in policy

development, 10 in institutional capacity building, 20 in stigma and discrimination reduction, and 20 in

community mobilization. In addition, one local organization will be provided support for policy development

and institutional capacity building.

Activity Narrative:

LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES:

This activity is linked to policy and systems strengthening initiatives. It also linked to initiatives in human

rights, elimination of stigma and discrimination, access to education and income generation. Activities will

be linked to those of other USG IPs providing services in the communities. This activity is also linked to

activities of bilateral and multilateral organizations dealing with issues related to OVC.

TARGET POPULATION:

Target populations include the general youth population and OVC.

EMPHASIS AREAS:

This activity's emphasis is on human capacity development and strategic information.

The activity will increase legislative engagement in HIV/AIDS and OVC stigma and discrimination issues.

ENHANSE will support the national legislature to enact appropriate legislation that supports national

HIV/AIDS programs including legislation related to the rights of children, adoption, and the establishment

and running of orphanages or other care institutions for affected children. Collaboration with National

Human Rights Commission and NEPWHAN will continue to ensure passage of the Bill on Stigma and

Discrimination. Support to the legislature will assist in hastening the processing of the relevant bills already

in both chambers.

TARGETS:

The OVC systems strengthening targets are added to the policy and systems strengthening targets.

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION:

ENHANSE is a national-level integrated project with the mandate to create an enabling environment for

HIV/AIDS in the social sector. This activity's emphasis is on policy development and utilization. This activity

focuses on the use of accurate and strategic information to inform the policy and planning process.

ENHANSE will also leverage organized private sector support and resources for national HIV/AIDS

programs.

During COP07 ENHANSE provided support to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) that

enabled the successful passage of the bill that converted it from a Committee within the Presidency to a full

fledged agency. In COP08, the ENHANSE project will continue support to NACA to strengthen its newly

legislated functions by embedding key staff in the agency and supporting the development of a National

AIDS Priority Plan. The National AIDS and STI Control Program (NASCP) of the Federal Ministry of Health

(FMOH) will be supported in the dissemination and utilization of survey reports including the National

Demographic Health Survey (DHS), National HIV/AIDS Reproductive Health Survey (NARHS), Ante-Natal

Clinic Survey (ANC), Integrated Bio-Behavioral Surveillance Survey (IBBSS), and will ensure improved data

use for policy planning. An impact evaluation of the national response focusing on health, education,

agriculture, and the economy will be given priority attention.

Additional support to NACA will include review of the National Strategic Framework and National HIV/AIDS

Policy. To maximize on the investment made for the establishment of the national information management

platform, ENHANSE will support the capacity building of 50 key officers of line ministries, CSOs, OPS and

the uniformed services on national reporting systems, such as Voxiva.

In COP07 ENHANSE provided support for the revision and finalization of the new national laboratory policy

that addresses manpower challenges and standardization of services. Work with other agencies of the

GON in COP08 will include collaboration with NASCP to develop and disseminate this policy and at least

four other key policies and plans in various thematic areas including prevention, HCT, ART, PMTCT,

palliative care, TB/HIV, nutrition and OVC in conjunction with all USG agencies administering PEPFAR. The

HCT manual will be reviewed to ensure that provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling (PIHTC) is

incorporated. The National Plan of Action for Pediatric ART will be developed to encourage service uptake

by children. ENHANSE will print and disseminate the Palliative Care guidelines and facilitate the

development of the National Plan of Action. Training of stakeholders on the use of these key documents

and harmonization of the various curricula will also be supported. The development and printing of the

National Nutrition Guidelines for HIV/AIDS and its National Plan of Action will occur in COP08. To enhance

information sharing within NASCP and between NASCP and the stakeholders, ENHANSE will support

NASCP to develop and disseminate its quarterly newsletters, including the maintenance of its website

developed during COP07.

In COP08, ENHANSE will work with the Food & Drugs Division of the FMOH and other partners to develop

a national supply chain management system policy and strategic plan to promote harmonized and more

effective procurements and logistics management. Support will be given to NAFDAC to develop

mechanisms for improving their ability to more effectively evaluate and rapidly register new products

approved by the USG to support PEPFAR implementation.

To address GON manpower challenges, ENHANSE will continue to embed 15 strategic long-term

consultants in NASCP, NACA, Food & Drugs Division of the FMOH, National Agency for the Food and Drug

Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Child Development Unit within the Federal Ministry of

Women Affairs (FMWA) in areas identified by LMS/MSH (#5271.08) and other USG partners for strategic

institutional capacity building to support PEPFAR implementation. The consultants will provide technical

oversight of their programs including M&E activities, thereby improving the quality of implementation and

reporting and build on previous successes achieved in COP 06 and COP 07 with a similar strategy

embedding staff in NACA and NASCP.

Activities in support of improved OVC programming via system strengthening for the Federal Ministry of

Women's Affairs, policy development for issues around access to care for children, improved school

enrollment for OVC, and Implementation of the OVC National Plan of Action will receive priority attention

and are addressed under ENHANSE's OVC narrative submission (3.3.08), but the capacity building targets

are captured here.

Barriers that arise from excessive bureaucracy within federal and national level institutions will be overcome

by providing TA to these institutions to improve their capacity to carry out their core mandates around

coordination of national programs. The various technical working groups (TWGs) set up to improve

coordination of the activities in the various thematic areas will be strengthened. The Prevention TWG will

continue collaboration with NBTS/SBFAF (#5329.08), and the MMIS (#3218.08) project to promote newly

approved policies that minimize use of injectables and ensure appropriate waste management thereby

reducing blood transmitted infections and fostering the practice of non-remunerated safe blood donations

and transfusions with technical and logistical support from ENHANSE.

Barriers to effective program implementation that arise from the predominant Islamic North will be

minimized by the special focus on Islamic FBOs especially to develop their own HIV/AIDS national policies

and operational guidelines and plans. ENHANSE will also work with two major Christian denominations to

develop their HIV/AIDS policies.

Collaboration with the CCM and GF will build upon the successful support provided during COP 07 that saw

the country rescue several grants that had been threatened with cancellation. In COP 08 support will be

directed towards improved grant implementation and harmonization with programs of other partners in the

national response. This activity will be coordinated in collaboration with the LMS (#5271.08) project. As

directed by the USG, support will also be given for the development of new grant applications where

appropriate.

ENHANSE will continue to serve as the platform through which USG implementing partners have dialogue

for greater harmonization of activities via workshops and exchange of information using the USAIDIT

newsletter and website.

Activity Narrative: CONTRIBUTIONS TO OVERALL PROGRAM AREA:

It is expected that the policy and guidelines developed, and the work of the individuals trained, will have a

significant impact on PLWHAs. The policies and guidelines will help facilitate improved delivery of high

quality and harmonized clinical and laboratory services. Issues related to greater ownership and support for

PEPFAR in Nigeria will be facilitated via enhanced opportunities for dialogue and consensus building

leading to greater sustainability.

LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES:

This activity is linked to activities in strategic information and cuts across all other program areas.

Specifically it is linked to initiatives in other areas of the ENHANSE mandate that cover reproductive health

and population activities, child survival and education. Specifically, this activity links to palliative care, lab,

TB/HIV and blood safety. It is also linked to initiatives with the uniformed services, and national

management of TB, as well as programs addressing OVC.

This activity is linked via the national multi-sectoral response to HIV/AIDS to activities in most ministries and

parastatals of government. It is also linked to the activities of the Global Fund in Nigeria as it is indirectly to

other activities that support the national HIV/AIDS response via collaboration with NACA such as the World

Bank MAP project, the Clinton Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the UN system.

POPULATIONS BEING TARGETED:

The activity focuses largely on national level public and private sector institutions, especially those playing a

significant role in addressing HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care such as NACA and NASCP/FMOH.

In addition, this activity targets media organizations from the print and electronic media as well as the

national legislature. The activity also targets the leadership of Faith-based Organizations as well as national

networks of those living with the virus or associated with them.

EMPHASIS AREAS

This activity focuses on policy development and utilization. This activity also focuses on the use of accurate

and strategic information to inform the policy and planning process. ENHANSE will also leverage organized

private sector support and resources for national HIV/AIDS programs and improve the political will of key

national leaders. ENHANSE will continue to support the national legislature to enact appropriate

legislations that support national HIV/AIDS programs. Collaboration with National Human Rights

Commission will continue to ensure passage of the bill on stigma and discrimination. Support to the

legislature will assist in hastening the processing of the relevant bills already in both chambers. This activity

will also address specific legislation related to the workplace and HIV/AIDS. Cross-cutting legislation such

as the domestication of the "Convention for the Eradication of Domestic violence Against Women

(CEDAW)", the Child Rights Act, and those addressing intellectual property rights especially as it relates to

the use of generic drugs and products for public health purposes will be priorities.