16th International AIDS Conference Toronto, Canada - August 13 - 18, 2006

PARLIAMENTARY OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR HIV AND AIDS RESOURCE ALLOCATION: THE SOUTH AFRICAN CASE

Int Conf AIDS. 2006 Aug 13-18;16 Abstract No. ThLB0406

N. Ndlovu
Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA), AIDS Budget Unit, Cape Town, South Africa

BACKGROUND: The AIDS Budget Unit (ABU) in collaboration with the Governance and AIDS Programme (GAP) both of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) conducted a research project, commissioned by the Africa-Canada Parliamentary Support Centre, on parliamentary oversight and monitoring of the budget process from an HIV and AIDS perspective, as well as parliamentary involvement in government’s response to HIV and AIDS. The project sought to start and focus a debate on the role that Parliaments and representative oversight institutions can play in ‘agenda setting’ for HIV and AIDS. It also sought to provide a series of ‘snapshots’ of how various Parliaments in Africa are exercising effective oversight (financial, programmatic, monitoring) over HIV and AIDS work in the face of very different country contexts and prevalence rates. Specific objectives will be outlines below.

METHODS: A detailed review of literature on the subject was conducted, complemented by face-to-face interviews with members of parliament and committees directly and/or indirectly involved in resource allocation, oversight and accountability for HIV and AIDS interventions.

RESULTS: Parliamentary oversight over the budget process for HIV and AIDS is still key to holding government accountable for budgeting and spending on the pandemic. Most MPs are not capacitated to monitor HIV and AIDS budget allocation processes because they are either non-experts on health issues or do not have a complete understanding of the budget process itself. This results in parliament leaving the resource allocation process in the hands of the executive, which consequently blocks MPs ability to effectively and actively influence and monitor the budget process.

CONCLUSIONS: Parliament has the ultimate role of ensuring that delivery of HIV and AIDS services and expenditure match the policies and constitutional obligations of the government. The concept “oversight” needs to be redefined to assist committees better comprehend their role in the delivery of rights.

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2006-08-13
ThLB0406

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