Tuesday, May 7, 2024
5/7/2024
Project Abstract The Republic of the Marshall Islands, a country of 29 coral atolls and 5 islands which is in compact of free association with the United States, has a population of 58,413- over 50% of which is under the age of 24. In 2015, the RMI Ministry of Health reported an adolescent age-specific fertility rate of 85 per 1,000, the highest in the Pacific. Since 2015, Youth to Youth in Health (YTYIH) has implemented a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Adolescent Health called the Republic of the Marshall Islands Urban Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Project. The new project, Aeloñ-kein Ad (These Islands of Ours) Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project seeks to build on the relationships and successes of the previous project to continue to reduce rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adolescents in the three most populous communities in the country. This will be done through a three pronged approach of (1) Youth Health Education, (2) Clinic Referral and Counselling, and (3) Community Mobilization and Engagement. The Youth Health Education component leverages three effective programs for schools (Draw the Line/Respect the Line, Reducing the Risk, and Positive Prevention PLUS), school health clubs, and an afterschool program. The Clinic Referral and Counselling program uses an effective clinic-based counseling intervention (Safer Sex Intervention) and a system of school referrals to services. The third component will create supportive services in the community such as promoting sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues through information, education and communication (IEC) strategies and an effective program for caregivers. The implementation of projects will be informed by meetings with the Community Advisory Groups (CAGs) and Youth Leadership Councils (YLCs) and the government ministries. In service of these goals, this project will increase adolescents’ SRH knowledge and sk ills, their self-efficacy to avoid unprotected sex, and increase their access to available health services. This project will also increase the capacity of YTYIH staff and implementation partners to sustain these effective programs. YTYIH expects to reach over 3,000 youth through Aeloñ-kein Ad during the first year of the program. Monitoring and evaluation activities will translate findings to continuously improve the project. A robust monitoring and evaluation plan will be developed in order to ensure the project is delivering high-quality services and activities and promote the optimal health of the youth of the Marshall Islands.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
