News

New project to build resilience among families affected by HIV in the Dominican Republic

December 21, 2022
An ACHIEVE community volunteer promotes Covid-19 prevention measures in a community in Santo Domingo. Credit: Pact

Pact has received $11.2 million in funding from USAID for a five-year project entitled, “Building Resilience Amongst Affected Families with HIV activity in the Dominican Republic” (Building Resilience). This is a follow-on to Pact’s current Dominican Republic buy-in for the Adolescents and Children, HIV Incidence Reduction, Empowerment and Virus Elimination (ACHIEVE) project. Building Resilience intends to reduce barriers to HIV prevention and service delivery for Haitian migrants and descendants and their children affected by HIV by improving their health and wellbeing. 

“Pact is honored to work with USAID and other partners to implement this lifesaving project,” says Desirée Luis, Project Director. “It is a great opportunity to build on our community networks and grounded experience in designing successful programs for orphans and vulnerable children.” 

Pact’s team will expand orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) programming to improve HIV outcomes and benefit priority populations. Building Resilience will reduce barriers to HIV prevention, strengthen treatment adherence and improve wellbeing among OVC households. Pact will use established coordination and data systems for efficient implementation and use of data for decision-making by the team within each province. 

PEPFAR’s support in the Dominican Republic has led to more people living with HIV in the Dominican Republic to know their status, access treatment and achieve viral suppression. However, new infections and inconsistent use of services among priority populations underscore the importance of community-based efforts. Beyond the need for greater access to HIV and social services among households, gaps vary by province, with some seeing higher mobility and some having greater demand for food and nutrition services and/or economic strengthening support. 

Our adaptive, data-driven approach is supported by three pillars: inclusion, purposeful partnerships and evidence-based capacity development. Capable local implementers will provide comprehensive support for priority populations living with HIV and work with OVC households to ensure the health and economic welfare of their children.