Development Issues: HIV/AIDS, Health, Gender, Children, and Youth.

Programme Summary

Fundación Fomento en Salud (FFS) is a non-profit organization based in Tegucigalpa. It was established with the purpose to promote dialogue and act on the health problems of the Honduran population. FFS is the linkage between the implementing and cooperating sectors for strengthening technical, funding, and managerial capabilities of public and private organizations. FFS's areas of interest include sexual and reproductive health care; HIV/AIDS/STD; maternal-child care; health in schools; adolescent health care; occupational health, water, and sanitary facilities; political dialogue for health care reform; and social mobilization.

HIV/AIDS is a particularly pressing problem in Honduras and is increasing rapidly. According to information received from the American Embassy, half of the HIV-infected people in Central America live in Honduras, where approximately one out of every one hundred adults is infected. A major part of the problem is concentrated in citizens aged 20 to 45. The AIDS Documentation and Information Centre has been implemented in response to this crisis.

Summary of ICT Initiatives

The FFS in conjunction with USAID and the Honduran Ministry of Health has implemented an educational/informational project with the intent of improving awareness about the prevention of HIV/AIDS/STDs. It has developed a centre to collect and disseminate information and materials related to prevention and safer lifestyles. The purpose of the centre is to:

• Offer more and better access to HIV/AIDS/STD prevention information and other topics related to violence, gender, human rights, and sexuality.
• Facilitate the exchange of electronic information amongst NGOs that currently work in this area.
• Facilitate the dissemination of information prepared by national and international institutions, professionals, and researchers in a timely way.
• Maintain an updated information database published by national and international institutions, professionals, and researchers.
• Train involved NGOs in the use of services and sources from the information centre.
• Make all the materials and information describing the "Fundación Fomento en Salud" programme available.

The centre has also established a number of specific objectives and qualitative and quantitative framework for evaluation of the project. The specific objectives are:[1]

• To ensure that updated information is available for users of the centre.
• To provide more and better responses to the requests of the clients of the centre. The clients of the centre will receive electronic direction, support for search, and training in how to access information through a database and catalogues. Answers to information requests must also be made available via Internet, telephone and by email.
• To improve the NGO community's knowledge about prevention of HIV/AIDS/STDs through access to timely, updated, and accurate information.
• To improve the quality of HIV/AIDS prevention information presented/displayed in the national mass media.
• To ensure that leaders in the prevention of HIV/AIDS are better informed.

Strategies are focused on strengthening behaviours in high prevalence groups, such commercial sex trade workers (CSWs), men who have sex with men (MSM), and the Garifuna (an ethnic minority) community. In addition, a sustainable and effective condom social marketing project is being implemented (as part of a wider regional endeavour), and the uses of new, rapid HIV tests are being promoted. The programme also awards sub-grants to roughly 15 NGOs implementing prevention projects aimed at high-risk groups.

These programs have in part been facilitated by Family Health International (FHI) and its IMPACT project which, “intervenes at multiple levels to influence individual and societal norms, improve the health infrastructure, and alleviate structural and environmental constraints to HIV/AIDS prevention and care.”[Click here for more information] IMPACT's key intervention strategies are to:

• Reduce risk and vulnerability to HIV.
• Strengthen HIV/AIDS care and support.
• Support the public and private sectors and communities for a sustainable response.
• Improve the availability and use of data for decision-making.

The Johns Hopkins University/Population Communication Services Project has also contributed to the development of a national AIDS communication strategy/campaign.The Fundación Fomento en Salud (FFS) also works closely with Comunicación y Vida and COMVIDA. The latter is a government municipality programme in San Pedro Sula (a city with a disproportionally high rate of HIV/AIDS infection) where an information kiosk has been established. This centre has been operating for several years and reports having reached over 1,117 persons cared for per week in social mobilization activities, 43 people a day with educational materials, and over 100 persons per day through the distribution of contraceptives and other materials.

Partners: Fundación Fomento en Salud, USAID, Honduras Social Security Institute, Public Health Ministry, Comunicación y Vida, and COMVIDA. See also PASCA

Source:FHI.org, and Pasca.org

For More Information Contact:

For more information, contact:

Dr. Jorge A. Higuero Crespo

Edificio CIICSA, 1° piso, Col. Palmira

Avenida República de Panamá, Tegucigalpa, m.D.C.

Honduras, C.A.

Tel.: +504 235 8942 & 235 8778

Fax: +504 235 8898

hjorge@david.intertel.hn

1. Click here for a PDF source document (Note: This information was translated fromSpanish using Altavista's Babelfish and corrected for grammar and may be subject to slight variations inmeaning as might be derived from the original text.)

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