The Government of Malawi established the National AIDS Commission (NAC) in July 2001 to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the country. NAC is the coordinating body for all HIV/AIDS activities in Malawi with a mandate to providing leadership in planning, organizing, coordinating and setting standards and guidelines for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in Malawi. Activities implemented by the Commission follow the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework, which contributes to the national health plan and is part of the Government strategy of poverty reduction. The overall goal of the framework is to reduce the incidence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and improve the life of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS