The main partners in the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP) are Merck/The Merck Company Foundation, the Gates Foundation and the Government of Botswana, but ACHAP works with many different partners from the private sector and civil society.

Government

Within the government, ACHAP works closely with the National AIDS Coordinating Agency within the Office of the President, the Ministry of Health—particularly the Departments of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care, and Public Health, and various ministries. The Madikwe Forum—created to bring together ACHAP and senior officials from the Ministries of Health, Finance and Development Planning, Education and Skills Development, Home Affairs, Local Government, Youth Sport and Culture, the National AIDS Coordinating Agency and the Office of the President for regular consultation—helps to monitor progress of ACHAP programs, provide strategic and policy guidance and address issues that arise.

Local Communities

ACHAP works with local institutions, including district administrations, district health management teams and facilities, healthcare workers and other cadres supporting the national HIV response at the district and community levels. Local community leaders and civil society organizations are also critical to implementation.

"We see ACHAP as a unique public/private partnership between the Merck Company Foundation/Merck, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Government of Botswana. I place emphasis on comprehensive, because this is a partnership that is sharply focused on prevention, treatment, care and support."

— His Excellency Festus G. Mogae, former president of the Republic of Botswana

Other Development Partners

From a multilateral perspective, ACHAP works with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nation's Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Bank, the European Commission and the Global Fund. On the bilateral side, ACHAP works with the U.S. President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Academia

Academic institutions also play an important role in healthcare capacity building, most notably in developing critical ARV training and preceptorship programs for healthcare workers. Key among ACHAP's academic partners are the University of Botswana, Harvard University, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Pennsylvania.

Nongovernmental Organizations

The local NGO community is very involved in the ACHAP partnership, including NGOs focused on youth prevention, and/or support for people living with HIV and AIDS, and HIV/AIDS service organizations.

"Botswana has shown an exceptional response to AIDS at the highest levels, and its progress in treatment access is an example to the world. This energy must now inspire a dramatic scale-up of a comprehensive HIV-prevention program for a sustainable, long-term AIDS response."

Peter Piot
Former UNAIDS Executive Director