The overall objective of the CARISMA project is to improve the status of sexual and reproductive health in general and, more specifically, to reduce the rate of STI and HIV infection rates, in selected countries of the Caribbean region.

The project objectives are:

1. Improve the supply of affordable high quality contraceptives
2. Improvements on key behavioural determinants related to safer behaviours
3. Improved behaviours among target groups with regards to HIV prevention
4. Decrease barriers to the use and uptake of contraceptives.

The project is also designed to make an important contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (3, 4, 5 and 6): combating HIV & AIDS, empowering women, reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.

The CARISMA project presents an opportunity to develop new, adapt old, and combine existing social marketing models. The project also aims to foster increased collaboration across social marketing organisations in the region to promote positive behaviour change and expand contraceptive choice among specific target groups.

The HIV & AIDS prevention strategies initiated in CARISMA’s first phase (2005–2008) will continue and in some cases be expanded into the next phase. Phase II of the CARISMA project includes a broadened focus to meet the need for targeted anti stigma and discrimination campaigns as well as family planning initiatives that support increased sexual health and reproductive rights.

During the first phase of the CARISMA project (October 2005 to December 2008) five social marketing programmes (Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Belize and regional activities in ten Eastern Caribbean States) received financial and technical support, learn more about phase one by clicking here. Funds were used to support expanded social marketing operations, address critical funding gaps and generate high quality research. This research data provided social marketers with vital information to make sound programmatic decisions and to design a follow-on project starting in 2009, click here to learn more about the second phase.

More about the CARISMA team.