Sustainable HIV Response In Central America Project

Central America is the most affected sub-region, after the Caribbean, by the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the Latin American and Caribbean regions.

The epidemic threatens to advance unless prevention efforts are intensified in highly vulnerable groups, such as men who have sex with other men (MSM), the transgender population, and other high-risk groups called key populations. The most recent HIV statistics in Guatemala indicate a concentrated epidemic; the highest prevalence (5% or more) in certain population groups, such as trans people and MSM, while the percentage of HIV in the general population is low (less than 1%).

PEPFAR is an interagency effort of the United States government. As part of it, the USAID Regional HIV/AIDS Program in Central America aligns its technical assistance in response to the needs of the HIV epidemic in each of the countries. The Sustainable Response to HIV in Central America project is an initiative that focuses on strengthening public policies and aims to support Central American countries towards a technically, politically, and financially sustainable stage to contain the HIV epidemic and meet the 95-95-95 targets by 2030, which are:

95% of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 95% of people diagnosed with HIV are on antiretroviral therapy, and 95% of people on antiretroviral therapy are virally suppressed.

GEOGRAPHICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC APPROACH

The Sustainable Response to HIV in Central America Project, implemented by FANCAP, focuses its efforts on four countries in the Central American region: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama. It works with various counterparts, mainly Ministries of Health through the National HIV and AIDS Programs, Human Rights Defender Institutions in the country, Civil Society Organizations, and the Private Sector.

CONTEXT AND CHALLENGES

All Central American countries have established coordinated national responses to address the HIV epidemic. However, the significant challenges in policy, governance, health systems, human rights, and community engagement to respond more effectively to the epidemic still need to be adequately addressed. Therefore, a comprehensive approach is required to close the gaps that limit the reach of the 95-95-95 targets by 2030.

Public policies that address specific aspects related to HIV are essential for governments to promote interventions that strengthen sustainability and accountability, as well as access to comprehensive HIV care services, including citizen participation, particularly of key populations. Therefore, it is necessary to define and implement strategies and develop operational plans with monitoring and follow-up tools to guarantee comprehensive, sustainable care, ensure respect for human rights, and promote interventions that include the active participation of the community.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

The Sustainable Response to HIV in Central America project proposes reinforcing public health policies in accordance with international agreements and treaties on the protection of human rights and promoting the equitable allocation of resources for the response to HIV. These actions will enable the political, social, and institutional sustainability of the response to HIV and increase the tangible commitment of governments to allocate resources for prevention, care, and treatment with the participation of civil society organizations and the private sector.

The project intends to achieve the following results: 1) Promotion of a more cost-effective distribution of national resources for HIV in Central America; 2) Reduction of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.; and 3) Quality assurance in health services generated from the customer inputs.