HIV sustainability and human rights
for Central America
We supported local leaders in the fight against HIV.
Funded by the United States Agency for International Development and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the HIV Sustainability and Human Rights for Central America project was implemented by Plan International USA and partners in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama.
There are an estimated 2.1 million people living with HIV in Latin America. And the problem isn’t going away. New yearly infections from the HIV virus rose 21% from 2010 through 2019 in Latin America, according to the Pan American Health Organization.
What did we do?
The HIV Sustainability and Human Rights project focused on fighting HIV in Central America and making sure the epidemic remained a top public policy priority. Working with government officials and nonprofit leaders, Plan and our partners collaborated with policymakers to design and fund sustainable programs that reduced HIV-related stigma and discrimination and promoted human rights. This included bringing everyone’s voices into the discussion, especially key populations who were significantly affected by the epidemic in the region, and addressing stigma and discrimination.
With these diverse stakeholders, the project catalyzed country leadership and commitment to secure long-term financing, implementing sustainable policies and reducing stigma and discrimination against key populations in order to achieve sustainable HIV epidemic control. The project promoted gender equality with specific cross-cutting focus on gender sensitivity and understanding.
Project activities included updates to national strategies and guidelines that support the quality of services as well as the financial sustainability of the response to HIV. Examples include National HIV Contact Tracing Guidelines and training service providers in El Salvador, proposing legislative changes to HIV laws in Guatemala, assisting in the development of guidelines to optimize antiretroviral therapy in Honduras and offering a virtual course on the human rights of people with HIV and other key populations in El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama.
Plan implemented the project in close coordination and collaboration with key regional institutions and national governments. National implementation was carried out according to the needs of each country, while leveraging the strength of Central American entities that support regional efforts to control the epidemic.
Project
stats and facts
- 23%
- of HIV-positive people in Latin America are unaware of their HIV status.
- 2.1 million
- people in Latin America are living with HIV.
- 1 in 8 people
- people living with HIV worldwide are denied health services because of stigma and discrimination.
Protecting human rights
In Guatemala, the HIV Sustainability and Human Rights for Central America project supported the creation and presentation of the eighth National Report on the Situation of Human Rights of People with HIV and Higher Risk Populations in December 2019.
Our projects in the region
El Salvador: Integrated health and education services for adolescents and youth
We support adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health.
View the Project
Guatemala: Connection to Success
We work together to connect girls and young women to careers.
View the Project
Your gift to Plan International USA will be used where needed most, to help create sustainable change and address the root causes of poverty and inequality. Donations can support programs, innovation, and infrastructure required to deliver our programs to girls and children worldwide, in areas such as protection, education, health, sanitation, disaster relief and economic empowerment.