International Development Grant
Improved Health for Women Children and Marginalized Populations
Project Number: CA-3-A035033001
Status: Closed
Country/Region: Unknown
Regional Focus:
Maximum Contribution: $18,000,000.00
Start Date: March 24, 2011
End Date: March 22, 2013
Duration: 2.0 years
Project Description
The project aims to help reduce the mortality and morbidity rates of women newborns children and vulnerable populations in select Latin American and Caribbean countries. It is designed to strengthen basic primary healthcare systems and service delivery as well as increase protection from communicable diseases. It specifically focuses on three components: (1) strengthening health service delivery through encouraging integrated and comprehensive services with national health authorities local and district-level public healthcare institutions as well as communities and community health networks; (2) implementing health information systems through technical cooperation and training for national health authorities to develop and strengthen the collection of health information including through surveillance systems and databases; and (3) improving leadership financing monitoring and evaluation of national health plans and policies aimed at advancing universal access to basic primary healthcare services. The project prioritizes country-level activities in 11 Latin American and Caribbean countries where maternal newborn and child health (MNCH) needs and gaps are greater. It is expected that other countries in the region also benefit from the project’s lessons learned. The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (i) strengthened health systems based on the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) Basic Primary Health Care Strategy in the region prioritizing women children and excluded populations and (ii) increased efficiency and effectiveness of PAHO in carrying out its technical cooperation mandate.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved as of March 2013 include: (i) 638 health professionals in Nicaragua Paraguay and Peru were trained in the clinical management of neglected diseases: In Paraguay rural health workers were trained in order to expand their ability to diagnose and treat leprosy one of the most debilitating and stigma generating neglected tropical diseases. In Peru’s isolated Amazon region laboratory technicians and community health workers of the Ministry of Health learned to diagnose and treat intestinal worms which parasites are responsible for stunting the growth of children limiting their cognitive development and causing them to miss school. In Nicaragua health workers from throughout the country were trained to improve their diagnosis and treatment of patients with Chagas disease a wide-spread insect-transmitted infection which causes physical incapacitation cardiac damage and premature death if not treated early on; (ii) In Honduras 100 health professionals were trained to better manage maternal and child health and are applying their newly learned skills; (iii) In Bolivia Colombia Ecuador Honduras and Paraguay 132 health professionals were trained to detect and monitor unusual public health events and potential disease outbreaks; (iv) 18 early warning units for disease outbreak were established in Bolivia Colombia Honduras and Paraguay. These results are contributing to improving the ability of health services to deliver effective and quality care to women children and vulnerable populations who are often excluded from health care.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
PAHO - Pan American Health Organization
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
NGM Americas
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Contributions to specific-purpose programmes and funds managed by implementing partners
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP