Buena Salud Américas

The National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance) and its supporting organization, the Healthy Americas Foundation (HAF) established The Buena Salud Américas initiative to promote collaboration between governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The effort is making vital links between community-based efforts and civil society engagement in public health policies and systems for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) throughout the Americas.

Health needs of women at different stages of life

For this focus area, The Alliance and HAF provided grants to partner agencies in Bolivia, Costa Rica, and Guatemala for a series of community discussions to gather information and learn more about women’s health including women’s reproductive health, gynecologic diseases, menopause, and mental health. The community discussions are part of ongoing efforts by the supported agencies to ensure the first hand experiences and priorities of women are a part of health policy and services in their countries. The following are the reports from those community discussion groups.

BOLIVIA – CIES: SALUD SEXUAL SALUD REPRODUCTIVA

Study to assess women’s knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding their health throughout the different stages of their lives. 65 women participated in a series of focus groups and 777 women also between the ages of 15 and 60 year of age responded to a survey.

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(Only available in Spanish)

COSTA RICA – VOCES VITALES COSTA RICA

Formative research to understand how much information and understanding women of different backgrounds and ages have concerning their physical, sexual, and mental health. A series of focus groups were conducted with women between the ages of 18 – 45 15 from rural and urban areas and varied income levels.

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(Available in English)

GUATEMALA –ISDM/OSAR: INSTANCIA POR LA SALUD Y EL DESARROLLO DE LAS MUJERES

Qualitative study about the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the indigenous women of Chimaltenango in relation to their reproductive health, mental health, oral health, interests, and their needs for care.

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(Only available in Spanish)

Hablemos del cáncer y el VPH/Let's Talk About Cancer and HPV

The Alliance and HAF provided community engagement grants to partner agencies in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, and Puerto Rico, to address cervical cancer prevention and HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) vaccination in the Americas. This initiative provided a platform for community-based organizations to build local advocacy, increase awareness about cervical cancer and the benefits of HPV vaccination, disseminate trusted and accurate information about prevention of cervical cancer and HPV, and share successful community-based practices and educational resources. The following are examples of the initiatives implemented by country and agency: