The Jamaica Family Planning Association has embarked on advocacy to improve HIV prevention services for young people in Jamaica.
The decision to engage in advocacy to national leaders came out of recommendations from the Youth Symposium and Stakeholders Meeting held in May 2008 and the findings of the Jamaica Report Card on HIV Prevention for girls and young women published by the International Planned Parenthood Federation based in London.
Part of FamPlan’s advocacy strategy included the preparation and distribution of more than 40 advocacy letters to national leaders. Leaders were asked to facilitate a meeting with stakeholders of FamPlan in order to discuss the need for their support and personal involvement in improving HIV prevention services for young people. The letters were addressed to five distinct classification of national leaders: private organizations, foundations, national government, government agencies and departments, and not-for-profit organizations.
We believe that the timing of the HIV prevention advocacy project is quite opportune, because of the recent passing of the regional conference on HIV/AIDS held in Mexico, and we believe that through advocacy and collaboration of national leaders (through a working group) we will be able to strategically and effectively respond to and improve prevention services. You can peruse the advocacy letter and the attachments that were distributed to the national leaders by clicking on the following links:
Introductory Advocacy Letter to the Minister of Health
Youth Symposium Recommendations on HIV Prevention
Jamaica Report Card on HIV Prevention
