ANCS

Introduction to ANCS

The Alliance Nationale contre le SIDA (ANCS) is a non-governmental organisation that supports and strengthens the capacity of community sector organisations (NGOs, CBOs, PLHA associations) that are involved in, or wish to become involved in, the fight against AIDS in Senegal.

Since its start in 1995, the ANCS has supported and provided technical, programmatic and institutional backing to those involved in or wishing to become involved in the fight against AIDS in the areas of developing AIDS/STI prevention programmes and programmes of accompaniment/support to people living with HIV/.

The ANCS receives technical and financial support from the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and forms one of the linking organisations in the wider International Alliance family. This family comprises 24 organisations spread across the world and with whom we share common visions and values.

Key strategies of ANCS

1. Leader associations

The “Leader Associations” programme is an ANCS strategy that relies on large associations that have the human and material resources necessary to mobilise communities around the fight against AIDS. It is a strategy of “getting things done” that will enable the ANCS to provide the necessary technical, programmatic, organisational and institutional support to the associations identified in Senegal’s eleven regions. In 2004, two leader associations were identified in two regions. In 2005, three new Leader Associations were incorporated into this component.

The main objective is to facilitate the mobilisation and community involvement of local NGOs/CBOs in the fight against AIDS and in the community care of PLHA, and to gradually increase community mobilisation through a process whereby the stronger organisations 'tow along' the smaller ones at local level.

2. Community mobilisation in border zones

The ANCS implemented this programme in 2005 to enable people living in border areas to better withstand HIV infection caused by border permeability in trading areas. Borders with Mauritania and Guinea were involved. Another programme was undertaken with OSIWA in relation to the border with Gambia.

3. The community approach in local authorities and health districts

This process is integrated with the USAID implementing agencies, and the objectives are the following:

  • To move beyond classic IEC and into behavioural change
  • To help the associations discuss sensitive issues related to sexuality, STIs/HIV, relationships between men and women etc. with their communities
  • To decentralise prevention and health promotion activities to the most remote level of rural communities and villages
  • To build the capacity of grassroots populations so that they can themselves identify their priority health problems and suggest endogenous and sustainable solutions
  • To encourage a better ownership of and continuity in health promotion activities on the part of communities
  • To encourage the creation and maintenance of a process of lasting behavioural change for better health promotion in their local areas.

4. High points and one-off mobilisation activities

The high point programmes offer exceptional opportunities for community mobilisation around the fight against AIDS and STIs. The high points are intensive moments of social mobilisation in Senegal. At this time, the ANCS supports partner and non-partner associations to implement one-off awareness raising activities aimed at creating an interest in the fight against HIV.

5. Community-based distribution of condoms

The Alliance Nationale de lutte Contre le SIDA (ANCS) is involved in the community-based distribution (CBD) of condoms, with the aim of making them available and accessible particularly in areas where there are no official condom distribution channels. CBD consists of making a stock of free condoms available to CBOs who have signed a contract with the ANCS.

The aim of this programme is to facilitate access to condoms on the part of people living in disadvantaged areas and marginalised groups, to create local condom distribution networks run by CBOs and to promote condoms.

6. Accompaniment/support for people living with HIV (PLHA)

For the ANCS, improving the quality of life of those infected and affected by HIV has always been a priority concern. This explains the significant efforts made to help associations more clearly link their PLHA accompaniment/support programmes to their prevention work. The objectives of this programme are, among other things:

  • To improve the quality of life of people infected or affected by HIV
  • To reduce the stigma and social rejection associated with HIV
  • To improve and strengthen linkages between prevention and care programmes through a prevention/care/treatment continuum
  • To strengthen PLHA involvement in STI/AIDS prevention activities
  • To strengthen the RNP+ on an institutional, organisational and programmatic level
  • To encourage the emergence of PLHA support associations and the creation of regional support units

7. Prevention aimed at vulnerable groups or specific populations (MSM, DU, Sex Workers)

This strategy consists of implementing targeted programmes of prevention and care aimed at reducing the vulnerability of target groups to STIs/HIV, contributing to lower risk behaviour among MSM by promoting safer sex practices, and implementing ongoing advocacy around the creation of an environment favourable to activities targeted at specific populations.

8. Partnership with community radio stations

The programme with community radio stations began in 2005 and is a strategy that relies on community media in ANCS areas of intervention to raise awareness of the HIV pandemic among the population.

In 2006, nine community radio stations were recruited into the programme by the ANCS to raise awareness in the most remote areas through the media’s capacity to disseminate information on HIV.

9. Capacity building of partner associations and networks

Beyond financial support, this strategy consists of strengthening the organisational, institutional and programmatic capacities of ANCS partner associations and networks.

10. The Global Fund programme

In March 2006, the ANCS was chosen as the second Principal Recipient of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, with the aim of coordinating civil society’s response to the fight against AIDS over the period April 2006 to March 2008. To this end, the ANCS has identified six major sub-recipient NGOs who will be responsible for implementing the programme’s five strategic components.

These organisations will execute the programme with the support of implementing partner organisations (IPOs), either community-based organisations (CBOs) or civil society organisations (CSOs), in each area of intervention.

  • ENDA SANE for the component Advocacy and Care for vulnerable groups such as men who have sex with men and sex workers (MSM and SW) in the Dakar, Thiès, Kolda and Diourbel regions
  • The Agence pour la promotion des activités de population au Sénégal (APAPS) for the component IEC/BCC aimed at vulnerable and bridging populations in the Dakar, Thiès, Kolda and Diourbel regions.
  • The Association Sénégalaise pour le Bien-être Familial (ASBEF) and the Society for Women Against AIDS in Africa (SWAA Sénégal) for the component Decentralisation of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) Programmes in the Dakar, Thiès, Kolda, Diourbel and Matam regions.
  • The Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI Sénégal) for the component Community Care of People Living with HIV/AIDS and Vulnerable Children and Orphans (PLHA and OVCs) in the 11 regions of Senegal.
  • SIDA SERVICE for the component Decentralisation of Anonymous Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Programmes in the Thiès, Kolda and Matam regions.

11. Advocacy

Advocacy is a cross-cutting strategy in relation to all the other strategies being implemented by the ANCS. Through advocacy, the ANCS works to ensure better consideration of the role and place of civil society in the response to AIDS in Senegal. Through this strategy, the ANCS also has a warning role to play and acts as the vanguard for a true multisectoral approach and a better consideration of the current and future issues at stake in Senegal's response to HIV.

In short, the ANCS advocates for a response that is targeted at national priorities.