History: In close collaboration with the Government of Honduras since 1993, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported HIV/AIDS prevention activities for key populations through financial and technical support to local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have been working with and advocating for the rights of these groups. In 2012, USAID began to shift the financing model to provide funds directly to the Honduran Ministry of Health (MOH) to issue competitive contracts to NGOs to provide the HIV prevention services to key populations.
Problem Statement: For both the MOH and the NGOs, the new contractual mechanism for HIV prevention services to key populations was the first time they had worked together. This presented challenges, a need for an open mind-set, and opportunities.
Summary of Interventions: The Leadership, Management, and Governance (LMG) Project took several approaches to fostering relationships and increase trust between these new partners. With this support, MOH staff observed that the health regions were empowered in their role as steward of the health system at local level, and had learned a great deal about the services carried out by the NGOs to key populations, and their importance in stemming the epidemic. NGO staff recognized that their capacity had also been strengthened through the routine visits from the regional health staff in monitoring the quality of services and reporting. Overall, 25 contracts were signed and monitored for the delivery of quality prevention, education and rapid testing services to key populations over the three years of the project, reaching close to 40,000 individuals.
Way Forward: The LMG Project is proud to have been invited to play a strategic role in Honduras to promote improved quality and delivery of HIV prevention and education services to key populations. Through the LMG Project’s activities, the MOH of Honduras and local NGOs developed greater capacity to work as a team, in particular at the local level, to deliver these services.
Está disponible en español: Nuevas alianzas entre el gobierno y la sociedad civil apoyan a poblaciones clave en Honduras.