Background

 

With an adult HIV seroprevalence of 6.1% (2001 UNAIDS estimate), Haiti has the highest HIV prevalence rate in Latin America and the Caribbean. At the end of 2001, there were 250,000 people infected with HIV in the country. As a result, Haiti is a priority country in the fight against HIV/AIDS, receiving resources from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (To view the funded proposal online, go to http://www.globalfundatm.org/proposals/round1/fsheets/haiti.html). It is also a priority country for the U.S. President’s PMTCT Initiative (You can obtain additional information on the U.S. Presidential Initiatives by going to (http://www.dec.org/partners/opin/index.cfm?fuseaction=default.definitions&cfid=125851&cftoken=55052491&initid=38#active).

 

The following table gives a snapshot of the HIV/AIDS situation in Haiti.

 

 

HIV/AIDS IN HAITI

 

 INDICATOR

ESTIMATE

HIV Prevalence Rates

   Prevalence rate, adults age 15–49

6.1%

   Median prevalence in antenatal clinics, major urban areas (2000)

3.8%

   Median prevalence in antenatal clinics, outside major urban areas (2001)

3.4%

   Median prevalence among STI patients, major urban areas (2000)

15.0%

   Median prevalence among STI patients, outside major urban areas

Not Available

   Median prevalence among female sex workers, major urban areas (1992)

65.0%

   Median prevalence among injecting drug users (2000)

Not Available

   Median prevalence among tuberculosis patients, major urban areas (1990)

47.6%

   Median prevalence among tuberculosis patients, outside major urban areas (1996)

25.0%

Key Behaviors

   Reported condom use at last higher-risk sex, females (2000)

14.4%

   Reported condom use at last higher-risk sex, males (2000)

25.5%

   Young people having multiple partners in the last year, females age 15–24

12.3%

   Young people having multiple partners in the last year, males age 15–24

22.8%
Children Affected by HIV/AIDS

   Orphan prevalence, 2001 estimate

14.0%

   Orphan prevalence, 2005 projection

13.1%

   Orphan prevalence, 2010 projection

11.7%

 

Data sources:

1. AIDS Epidemic Update—December 2002 (UNAIDS) <http://www.unaids.org/worldaidsday/2002/press/Epiupdate.html>

2. Children on the Brink 2002 (USAID) <http://www.dec.org/pdf_docs/PNACP860.pdf>

3. HIV/AIDS Survey Indicators Database <http://www.measuredhs.com/hivdata/>

 

Project Highlight from the Child Survival and Health Grants Program (CSHGP)

 

1.       Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)

            ADRA has been implementing a USAID-funded child survival project in the urban slums of Carrefour (a township that borders Port-au-Prince) since 2000. The project has an HIV/AIDS/STI prevention component that focuses on behavior change communication (BCC) and condom distribution through a network of health agents and volunteers. In addition to reaching mothers of young children through its child health activities, the HIV/AIDS interventions also target men of reproductive age through Father’s Clubs and Youth Clubs. In-school youth are also reached through school-based BCC activities. For more information on ADRA’s activities in Haiti, contact Becky DeGraaff at Becky.degraaff@adra.org.

 

2.       Project Hope

            Since 2001, Project Hope has been implementing a USAID-funded child survival in the Northeast Department of Haiti. The project has a number of objectives related to HIV/AIDS/STIs including the following:

 

·         To improve the knowledge and practices related to HIV/AIDS/STI prevention, care seeking, and VCT in both men and women

·         To enhance community involvement as it relates to HIV/AIDS

·         To improve STI treatment

 

            It has employed a number of approaches to achieve those objectives including community-based distribution and sale of condoms (in partnership with Population Services International), training and supervision of health auxiliaries in STI syndromic management, and working with mothers clubs, fathers clubs, and village health committees. For more information on this project, contact Dr. Robert Northrup at rnorthrup@projecthope.org.

 

 

Technical Resources on HIV/AIDS in Haiti

 

·         For information on USAID’s HIV/AIDS support to Haiti:

            http://www.usaid.gov/pop_health/aids/Countries/lac/haiti.html

·         UNAIDS Epidemiological Fact Sheet on Haiti (2002):

            http://www.unaids.org/hivaidsinfo/statistics/fact_sheets/pdfs/Haiti_en.pdf

 

·         Haiti’s 2000 Demographic and Health Survey Final Report (in French):

            http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdftoc.cfm?ID=335&PgName=country.cfm0ctry_id=16

 

·         HIV/AIDS Survey Indicators Database:

            http://www.measuredhs.com/hivdata/

 

·         Examples of resources included in the HIV/AIDS VRC that have information on Haiti:

 

RESOURCE DESCRIPTION

URL

Plan Strategique National Pour la Prevention et le Controle des IST et du VIH/SIDA en Haiti, 2002–2006

http://www.policyproject.com/pubs/countryreports/Haiti_PSN.pdf

Politique Nationale de Sante des Jeunes et des Adolescents

http://www.policyproject.com/pubs/countryreports/PoliJeunes.pdf

CONDOMS—a searchable database of IEC materials and other resources on condoms (JHU/CCP)

http://condoms.jhuccp.org/

 

USAID Project Profiles: Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (second edition)

http://www.usaid.gov/pop_health/aids/Publications/docs/cabaprojectprofiles.pdf