RTK - Haiti Profile

Young people as a percentage of total population:
36% (age 10-24)

Estimated percentage of young people living with HIV/AIDS:
Female – 6.7%
Male – 5.5%

RTK INITIATIVE STATUS
Phase I: Planning for RTK -- Completed
Phase II: Participatory Action Research -- Initiated; to be completed upon receipt of funding
Phase III: Research development and Implementation of Communication Strategy -- To be initiated 2003

PURPOSE
The primary goal of Right to Know is to plan and implement adolescent communication strategies that provide adolescents (both in school and out of school) with information and lifeskills for the prevention of HIV/AIDS, and to ensure adolescent participation in all aspects of planning and implementation.

PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES, 2002-2003:

• RTK will contribute to the national effort of reducing HIV infection rates among 15-24 year olds by 25% by 2006, in order to help fulfill the right to life and development.
• RTK aims to build the capacity of at least three main Haitian Youth Organisations in communication strategy development, implementation and evaluation.
• RTK will contribute to the Haitian Five Year Programme objectives:
• Ensuring access and use of health services for prevention and control of STIs and HIV/AIDS for 100,000 (7%) of women who are receiving routine prenatal care
• Ensuring access and use of a minimum package of MTCT services for 50,000 pregnant women (4%) in the context of routine prenatal care.
• Ensuring access and use of health services for information, prevention and control of STIs and HIV/AIDS to 20% of children (6 to 11 years), adolescents (12 to 17) and young people (18 to 24 years)
• Providing appropriate information on HIV/AIDS to at least 35% of children, adolescents, and young people, and 80% of pregnant women in the MTCT project.

PARTNERS AND LINKAGES

• VDH, FOSREF and PSI will serve as collaborating research institutions;
• Steering Committee and Youth Coordination comprised of Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, UNICEF, UNAIDS, WHO, UNESCO, UNFPA, Save the Children UK, VDH [Volontariat pour le Développement d'Haiti], FOSREF [Fondation pour la Santé de la Reproduction et l'Education Familiale], and Centre GHESKIO [Groupe Haitien d'Etude du Sarcome de Kaposi et des Infections Opportunistes] and PSI (Programme Santé Information).
• A NGO Coordinator Research partner is being recruited.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE

• RTK national orientation for Phase I, 4-6 March 2002.
• RTK national steering committee meeting since 6 March 2002.
• Haitian RTK youth participation in the UNGASS for Children; May 2002.
• RTK Phase II training 11-18 November, 2002.