Honduras

Current Projects

Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (June 1999 - December 2006)

To reduce the high number of child deaths in Honduras, the American Red Cross is working together with the Honduran Red Cross, the Pan American Health Organization, the Ministry of Health and other groups through the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy.

IMCI aims to reduce child mortality from the five illnesses that account for the majority of childhood deaths in the developing world. These include diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, measles, malaria and malnutrition. Community health volunteers are trained to prevent, recognize and treat the five deadly childhood illnesses.

Teaching the 16 Key Family Practices is fundamental to IMCI. Once trained in IMCI, health educators teach caregivers and parents to recognize the danger signs of these diseases, encouraging referral to health facilities when needed.

Youth VCT Linkage and Referral Project (January 2003 – September 2006)

American Red Cross International Services, in partnership with the Red Cross Society of Honduras (HRC), offers counseling, referral for support and preventive education to homeless youth and other youth groups at high risk for contracting HIV/AIDS.

Additionally, the project facilitates preventive behavior in at-risk youth and enables seropositive youth to plan and better cope with HIV/AIDS related issues.

The goals include (1) Increased use of high quality VCT services among homeless adolescents; (2) Increased use of high quality VCT services among youth at risk identified through blood donor screening; (3) Increased number of seropositive youth identified in VCT receiving psychosocial and medical support; and (4) Strengthened capacity of and linkages among local partner organizations: HRC, MoH, APSONAPVSIDA, Casa Alianza and other homeless groups.

Honduras has the highest infection rate for HIV/AIDS in Central America. The HRC, already the largest blood services provider in the country, seeks to expand its reach further through this project.

Past Projects

Organizational Development and Capacity Building for Honduran Red Cross Society (April 1999-December 2003)

Empowerment for Early Child Care for Survival, Growth and Development (September 2002 – October 2003)

Community Health Project (May 1999 – September 2003)

Pre-Hospital Services Improvement (February 2001 - September 2003)

Post-Hurricane Water and Sanitation Systems Rehabilitation (May 1999 – March 2003)

Central American Mitigation Initiative for Disaster Preparedness (February 2001 - February 2003)

Community Services Project (April 1999 – January 2002)

Community Disaster Preparedness and Training (May 1999 – December 2001)

To read more about American Red Cross relief efforts in Honduras, go to:

The Children We Help: Central America

The Wait Begins... Hurricane Preparedness In The Caribbean

Operation Drought 2001

The Harvest After