History

End of 1997: The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on AIDS was established as the first high-level political body on AIDS. This Committee was chaired by the then Deputy President, Mr Thabo Mbeki. It provided guidance, leadership and political oversight on HIV and AIDS, and was constituted of the Deputy President and some Ministers and Deputy Ministers.

January 2000: The South African National AIDS Council was formed, replacing the Inter-Ministerial Committee on AIDS, to further strengthen the strong political leadership as well as to ensure inclusion of the civil society in the overall response to the HIV and AIDS challenge.

Year 2002: SANAC is reviewed. A lot of progress has been made with regard to advocacy, mobilisation (including resources), capacity building and establishment of forums in relation to the country’s strategic plan on HIV, AIDS and tuberculosis (TB).

January 2002: SANAC is appointed the Country Co-ordinating Mechanism (CCM) for South Africa in terms of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The CCM co-ordinates the submission of one national proposal for grant funding to the Global Fund and monitors the implementation of activities under Global Fund-approved programmes, including approving major changes in implementation plans .The other roles of the CCM are to review, evaluate and make recommendations on the proposal submitted for funding prior to forwarding the recommendations to the Global Fund

December 2003: SANAC is expanded to include more representation from civil society. Previously unrepresented sectors include the men's sector, academic sector and the children's sector

December 2003: The SANAC Secretariat is strengthened to support the work of SANAC The secretariat’s responsibility is to provide technical, logistical and administrative support to SANAC.

March 2004: SANAC recommends the establishment and appointment of an Executive Management Committee (Exco). Exco ensures that SANAC functions effectively by meeting regularly to implement decisions and respond to urgent matters.

7 May 2006: SANAC decides to conduct an internal review with a view to improve its efficacy. A third term of office begins and civil society nominates new members.

August 2006: SANAC decides to conduct a rapid assessment of implementation of the 2000-2005 strategic plan and decides that the pillars are still relevant. SANAC also decides that the next strategic plan will build on those pillars.

14 & 15 March 2007: National consultation on the National Strategic Plan (NSP 2007 - 2011) takes place

30 April 2007: SANAC convenes an inaugural meeting and adopts 2007 – 2011 HIV, AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan (NSP 2007-2011).

11 May 2007: Mr M Heywood is nominated as the first SANAC Deputy Chair from civil society.

2 July 2007: The Resource Management Committee (RMC) is established. The RMC is linked to SANAC and deals with Global Fund issues and it also looks at other opportunities for resource mobilisation to support implementation of the NSP.

16 August 2007: The Programme Implementation Committee is established and conducts its first meeting.

10 September 2007: Mr M Heywood is confirmed as the first deputy chair for SANAC from civil society.