JHPIEGO TrainerNews™ |
Haiti Commemorates World AIDS Day at
INHSAC
(December 2001)
In an effort to raise awareness of the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Haiti and garner both political and financial support to continue the fight against the spread and burden of this disease, the Institute for Health and Community Action (INHSAC) hosted an exciting World AIDS Day commemoration on 30 November, in Port au Prince. The event featured HIV/AIDS and RH informational activities facilitated through the technology?assisted learning center (TALC), which was developed with JHPIEGO technical assistance (TA).
The commemoration activities, which included interactive, computer?based learning activities, were telecast live on the web via <http://www.jeunehaiti.net>. Participants at the event included the First Lady of Haiti, the US Ambassador, ambassadors representing Taiwan and Japan, the Director of USAID, the Health Minister of Haiti, and representatives from the US State Department, the United Nations, UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF and others. The TALC, which supports a network of INHSAC reproductive health (RH) trainers and other health professionals and links them, via the Internet, to up?to?date health resources and to other health professionals around the world, was key in advertising the commemoration and the weekend events to follow.
The TALC features a website, that provides information about INHSAC and its activities with the Ministry of Health and nongovernmental organizations and about the benefits offered to RH professionals at the TALC. The site's "What's New" section posted the inauguration agenda as well as the HIV/AIDS strategic plan of the MOH and other key information. The website also includes a virtual library, which includes links to other websites on four priority health topics: reproductive health, maternal and child health, child survival, and infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS.
As a part of the inauguration, the TALC brochure was also disseminated. Participants, including the First Lady of Haiti, toured the TALC, and the Director of INHSAC made a public address to inform participants about the future plans of the TALC and to outline its importance to the RH service provider and trainer community. The First Lady was very impressed by the work done at the INSHAC TALC. And, she was so enthusiastic about the TALC that she requested her speech be featured on the inhsac.org website. The success of World AIDS Day in Haiti demonstrates that the TALC and its related features have the potential to serve the RH community in event organization and enhancement as well through training and research.
For more information, contact INHSAC director Harry Pierre-Louis or Wendy Voet.