National AIDS Control Organisation provides leadership to HIV/AIDS Control Programme in India, implementing one National Plan within one monitoring system. State AIDS Prevention and Control Societies (SACS) implement NACO programme at state level, but have functional independence to upscale and innovate.
SACS Structure
SACS are autonomous and decentralised. Each State AIDS Prevention and Control Society has a governing body, its highest policy-making structure, headed either by the minister in charge of health or the chief secretary. It has on board representatives from key government departments, the civil society, trade and industry, private health sector and PLHA networks, who meet twice a year. It approves new policy initiatives, annual plan and budget, appoints statutory auditors and accepts the annual audit report. For better financial and operational efficiency, administrative and financial powers are vested in the Executive Committee and the Programme Director.
Functions of SACS are:
- Medical and public health services;
- Communication and social sector services; and
- Administration, planning, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, finance and procurement.
With the setting up of District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit under NACP-III, there will be increased emphasis on improving coordination functions at state level in supporting the programme implementation at the district level.
