VZCZCXRO6343
RR RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0428 0871555
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271555Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7573
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHTG/AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA 0110
UNCLAS OTTAWA 000428
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA/CAN AND WHA/CEN
USAID FOR LAC
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID SOCI CA HO
SUBJECT: MONEY FOR CANADIAN HEALTH PROJECTS IN HONDURAS
1. During her recent visit to Honduras, International
Development Minister Bev Oda announced that the Canadian
government is providing C$18 million to help youth and other
marginalized groups in Honduras through new school-feeding,
health, and water and sanitation initiatives. "These
projects will provide visible, long-term health benefits to
Hondurans and provide the communities with a better
opportunity to improve their livelihoods and overall
sustainable development," the Minister said in her
announcement.
2. The projects Oda announced on March 18 include:
a) C$10 million to UNICEF and the United Nations Population
Fund to help the Honduran government offer quality HIV/AIDS
prevention and other health and reproduction services and
programs for adolescents and youth. Over the next ten years,
this program will ensure that individuals and organizations
in almost 50 municipalities receive proper training, and
overall support to deliver quality sexual and reproductive
health services, and HIV/AIDS and early pregnancy prevention
information. The program will assist 45,000 youths directly
and provide an indirect benefit to 250,000 more;
b) C$4 million to UNICEF in support of the maintenance of
water and sanitation systems and the promotion of good
hygiene practices throughout Honduras, especially in rural
areas without easy access to clean water. Along with the
planned hygiene and sanitation programs, the project will
complement UNICEF's Infant Survival and Development Country
Program and should help lower child mortality rates. The
project is expected to help over 100,000 people;
c) C$4 million to the World Food Program's School Feeding
Program to help increase school enrollment, especially by
girls, and ensure that students receive a healthy lunch each
day. The project's goal is to feed over 400,000 students
over 4 years in 36 municipalities.
3. This was Minister Oda's third visit to the area since
Prime Minister Harper's visit last July. She reaffirmed the
Prime Minister's position on promoting Canada's fundamental
values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of
law, and Canada's commitment to deepen its relationship with
the Americas.
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada
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