AIDSTAR-One/Honduras

With the second highest HIV infection rate in Central America, Honduras has a generalized epidemic in the north coast and a concentrated epidemic in the rest of the country. Four urban provinces account for 76 percent of the country’s HIV cases, according to UNAIDS. Generalized poverty, violence, lack of comprehensive public policy, and limited access to health services and education are some of the primary determinants of HIV infection. In response, the Health Secretariat in Honduras and the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Honduras (ASONPVSIDAH) have engaged AIDSTAR-One/Honduras to help them strengthen the national response to HIV and update a differentiated integrated approach focused on most at risk populations and the general population.

AIDSTAR-One/Honduras’s primary goals are to:

• Create and maintain a continuum of high-quality care services for patients.
• Put into place an effective referral system.

To advance these goals, AIDSTAR-One/Honduras is partnering with the Health Secretariat and ASONPVSIDAH on the following three activities:

Implementing a National Strategy for Integrated Care for HIV/AIDS Services

The Health Secretariat engaged the USAID Mission in Honduras, who identified AIDSTAR-One/Honduras to redefine an outdated integrated care model for HIV services with a new strategy that is more client-centric and more closely linked to the national health reform framework. After completing the strategy, AIDSTAR-One/Honduras is helping the Secretariat with implementation. The preparation stage includes seeking endorsement and validation from key government and civil stakeholders, presenting the new strategy to the health sector, and developing an implementation, operative and investment plan.

Download the National Strategy for Integrated Care for HIV/AIDS Services of the Honduras Ministry of Health (Spanish) (PDF 1.5 MB)

Improving the capacity of health service delivery providers to offer comprehensive, high-quality HIV services

Download the Assessment of HIV Services Provided by Comprehensive Care Centers in Honduras (Spanish) (PDF 317 KB)

AIDSTAR-One/Honduras began by compiling a database of existing international and regional norms, procedures, guidelines, training, and protocols related to HIV service delivery. This database provides a framework for developing new service delivery protocols, norms, and approaches that are consistent with international standards. Following completion of the norm revision, AIDSTAR-One/Honduras is also designing a training plan to bring health workers’ skills up to the level of these newly developed norms.

Strengthen ASONPVSIDAH’s HIV prevention, promotion, and care programs and strategies

In 2010, AIDSTAR-One collaborated with ASONPVSIDAH to develop the Third National Strategic Plan (2010-2014). In addition, the project assessed ASONPVSIDAH’s programs and strategies. Based on the gaps revealed in the assessment, AIDSTAR-One will:

• Work with the association to develop new models for home visits and self-support groups.
• Design an implementation plan for these models.
• Facilitate the training process for the new models for home visits and self support groups.
• Assist the association with the logistics for launching the Third National Strategic Plan once suggestions from the assessment have been incorporated.

Download the ASONPVSIDAH Assessment Report (Spanish) (PDF 350 KB)

Download the ASONPVSIDAH Strategic Plan (Spanish) (PDF 4.5 MB)

Download the ASONPVSIDAH Sharing Positively Manual for Self-Support Group Facilitators (Spanish) (PDF 1.5 MB)