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 
 
BREESE