El Salvador

Key Results in 2022-2023

Prevention of vertical transmission of HIV service was scaled up following capacity building of health professionals, a stronger surveillance system and improved nutrition and care services for pregnant women.
Young people, including from rural areas and women living with HIV are empowered to actively engage in the HIV response and drive change in their communities.
Women living with HIV improved their leadership skills to respond to stigma and discrimination, and promote gender equality.
Empowerment initiatives among women living with HIV improved their livelihoods and contributed to addressing gender inequalities.

Joint Programme Results

El Salvador continued to make progress towards expanding HIV services, with considerable efforts towards eliminating vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, chagas and hepatitis B thanks to the Joint Programme’s strategic support in 2022-2023. A national validation committee was established, and a joint vertical transmission programme assessment mission was completed to support the elimination validation process. A total of 123 healthcare providers improved their capacity to deliver vertical transmission prevention services for pregnant women and HIV-exposed children, and antiretroviral drugs were procured by the Joint Programme to improve treatment services among women and children. A mapping of facility-led maternal and child health services was also completed, while around 150 epidemiologists gained increased knowledge in vertical transmission surveillance in five health regions. In addition, 50 pregnant and breastfeeding women and HIV-exposed children received financial assistance to improve their food security and health outcomes. Health personnel from four Comprehensive Care Centres (IAC) was also trained in nutrition and healthy meals preparation to improve pregnant women’s health outcomes (UNICEF, WFP, WHO, UNAIDS Secretariat). 

HIV incidence per 1000 uninfected populations

Source: AIDSinfo

AIDS mortality per 1000 population

Source: AIDSinfo

Progress towards 95-95-95 targets

Source: AIDSinfo

With technical and financial support from the Joint Programme, the Rosales National Hospital established a counselling and clinical care unit for adolescents, including adolescents living with HIV, to provide friendly and differentiated HIV prevention and treatment, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services. The training as facilitators of 97 health professionals of the Virtual Center for Youth in the Department of Sonsonate further improved health and HIV services for adolescents thanks to a new training course on leadership and HIV. The course already built the skills of 600 adolescents and young people, including from rural areas, in driving transformation and social change in their communities (UNFPA). Besides, more than 60 adolescents and young people gained better knowledge of HIV and STI prevention thanks to the Joint Programme’s support in close coordination with the Ministry of Health (UNICEF, UNAIDS Secretariat)

To enhance community-led gender responsive initiatives in El Salvador, the Latin American Network of Women Living with HIV in collaboration with local civil society organizations developed a workplan for joint advocacy actions for the rights of women living with HIV, which calls for better gender equality in the national HIV response. In addition, 25 women who manage the network’s social media platforms received training on promotion of key messages on HIV. Besides, 160 women living with HIV who experienced discrimination due to their HIV status gained stronger leadership skills, self-care and self-esteem through their participation in workshops held in national hospitals and received dignity and self-care kits (UN Women). A total of 18 women entrepreneurs living with HIV from 13 municipalities across the country were trained on digital financing and marketing tools and received digital technologies to improve their livelihoods, income, empowerment and digital and financial inclusion, in partnership with the nongovernmental organization Visión Propositiva (UNDP). Finally, a new guide on the prevention of violence against women in schools, and the training of 369 professionals working with survivors of gender-based violence, will continue to prevent and better respond to gender-based violence in the country (UNFPA).