Health

USAID health activities improve access to quality services in maternal and child health, family planning and reproductive health, and prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. USAID also helps implement health sector reforms that improve service quality, accountability, and efficiency through decentralized service delivery. The program additionally improves maternal and child nutrition in the most food insecure, rural communities of Honduras.

Health Reform: USAID supports reforms that decentralize health services. The Program works directly with the Ministry of Health, local governments, and other health organizations to transfer authority and resources from the central government to the local level, and to strengthen community involvement in the delivery of health services. These reforms improve the quality and efficiency of health care and expand coverage, while containing costs and increasing government accountability. Activities support the delivery of a universal package of health services, with Government of Honduras financing covering the poorest and most vulnerable Hondurans. By allowing local governments to perform the functions traditionally undertaken by the central government – such as the purchase of medications – decentralization not only empowers local communities to make their own decisions but also leads to more efficient and effective use of resources.

Maternal and Child Health: USAID assists the Ministry of Health in expanding access to better quality essential obstetric and newborn care and improving health services for women and children with the greatest need. Activities increase the survival rate of children by supporting better feeding of infants and young children, promoting exclusive breastfeeding, preventing and treating childhood diseases, and improving pre-natal care and nutrition in areas where food is unavailable or inaccessible. The program also makes professional care throughout pregnancy and delivery more accessible, especially to women from rural communities.

Family Planning and Reproductive Health: USAID efforts expand access to high quality, voluntary family planning services, particularly for the rural poor. Activities train the Ministry of Health and local private organizations to provide quality family planning services and strengthen contraceptive procurement systems to support the widespread commercial availability of contraceptives. To guarantee sustainability, the Program also promotes new laws and policies and the establishment of reliable financing systems.

HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment: . USAID collaborates with local non-governmental organizations to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and expand the provision of HIV counseling and testing to most-at-risk populations. Studies show severe weaknesses in the quality of care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS in Honduras. The program strengthens these services by improving supply chain management for antiretroviral drugs and by providing better comprehensive care at the community level. USAID also assists the Honduras National AIDS Program in strengthening its surveillance and monitoring systems to better track and respond to the epidemic.

USAID ASSISTANCE TO HONDURAS IN HEALTH

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