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Women and adolescents in the Dominican Republic face increasing HIV prevalence rates, especially among young people aged 15-24; high rates of gender-based violence; and the second highest maternal mortality rate in the Caribbean. The high level of poverty, particularly among rural populations, is also a barrier to the realization of women’s and young peoples’ reproductive rights.
Despite these challenges, the country has made impressive gains over the past few years. The vast majority of women give birth with the assistance of a skilled attendant and almost 60% of women of reproductive age report using a modern method of contraception. Yet more work is needed: quality of care throughout the country is generally poor (particularly for maternal health) and adolescents still face great barriers in accessing the information and services they need to protect themselves from sexually transmissible infections, including HIV/AIDS, and unwanted pregnancies.
Meeting the Needs of Youth
Family Care International (FCI) is working with municipal youth groups in the Provinces of Monteplata and La Vega, and with national youth networks to strengthen their capacity to assess their institutional needs, conduct and monitor health education initiatives, and advocate with key stakeholders - including government officials, technical agencies and non-governmental organizations - for the implementation of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health programs and policies.
FCI has developed a Participatory Advocacy Model, including a training curriculum in Spanish, to help youth-serving groups strengthen their advocacy skills in this area. Also, FCI has developed a diagnostic tool to assess the youth-friendliness of their approach and program strategies. These tools are being finalized and will be shared broadly.
In April 2007, FCI partnered with the Dominican Youth Ministry, UNFPA, USAID, and the Monteplata Youth Network to host a forum to analyze the linkages between adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to promote the creation of local youth policies. The forum created a space to dialogue with long-time and new partners about successful strategies to promote the creation of local youth policies based on the needs and priorities identified by youth.
Increasing Access to Skilled Attendance at Childbirth
As part of our broader efforts to ensure that all women have access to a skilled health attendant during childbirth, FCI is collaborating with the Ministry of Health, the Nursing School of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo and other public health partners on a strategy to strengthen the role of the mid-level health provider.
In the Dominican Republic, FCI is a member of the Steering Committee of the National Women’s Health Network. With this network, FCI is working to promote supportive policies on women’s health and rights within the context of the Millenium Development Goals, including the implementation of the new reproductive health law.
For more information contact:
This office is in transition,
please contact our New York
office for all inquiries.
Family Care International
Latin America and Caribbean Program
588 Broadway, Suite 503
New York, NY 10012
Tel: (212) 941-5300
Fax: (212) 941-5563
e-mail: lac@fcimail.org
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Millenium Development Goals & Sexual and Reproductive Health Briefing Cards
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