Reaching the hard-to-reach: health strategies for serving urban young women. CHILDHOPE-USA Inc. conference report December 3-4 1991 Bellevue Hotel Washington DC.

In December 1991 CHILDHOPE-USA sponsored a conference on addressing the health needs of underserved female adolescents living in cities of developing countries. Participants included specialists in maternal and child health family planning AIDS prevention and income generation from nongovernmental and governmental organizations. They presented models on innovative health programs for young women who were street girls working girls and other at-risk young women. Conference participants discussed what they learned in serving these women and decided to work together to bring health services to them. The conference also served to get up linkages between groups addressing womens health issues and those addressing poor children especially street and working children. Representatives from CHILDHOPE-USA kicked off the conference with an introduction and opening remarks. The Chief of USAIDs Child Survival and Health Office at Private Voluntary Cooperation which supported the conference also presented an overview of its activities particularly how they address the needs of urban adolescent women. The second part of the conference looked at the health needs of urban adolescent women and street girls including adolescent reproductive health status in Latin America early childbearing. AIDS and STDs and mental health. The next 2 parts examined lessons learned from a project preventing adolescent pregnancy a health outreach program the Passage House in Brazil the Health Action Program in Metro Manila (the Philippines) 2 US programs which mobilize community resources the Africa Women Against AIDS Network and child survival maternal health AIDS prevention and family planning programs. Participants then met in small groups to shape strategies to overcome obstacles so they can reach these hard-to-reach women. They developed strategies for family planning AIDS prevention income generation and child survival and maternal health efforts.