Contact: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Press Office, 202-712-4320; Public Information, 202-712-4810

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 /Standard Newswire/ -- The American people, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and a consortium of four partners, will assist in building the capacity of Rwandan institutions to implement HIV/AIDS prevention, malaria and child survival programs. The Behavior Change and Social Marketing (BCSM) project will involve district stakeholders, the private sector and Government of Rwanda. The five-year cooperative agreement will provide $20 million in technical support, contributing substantially to Rwanda's national goals and the targets of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and President's Malaria Initiative (PMI).

"Social marketing increases access to life-saving products," said Ryan Washburn, Acting Mission Director for USAID in Rwanda. "The Behavior Change and Social Marketing project will reach thousands of Rwandans with essential health products and information."

The BCSM partnership is led by Population Services International (PSI) in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs, Community Habitat Financing and Rwandan Partner Organizations. Together, they will implement five critical objectives:

Improve access to health products related to HIV/AIDS, malaria, reproductive health and child survival through social marketing;

Develop and manage education and information activities that promote better health practices;

Develop and enhance services and referrals, particularly mobile HIV counseling and testing, for the most at-risk populations;

Build the technical capacity of Rwandan institutions to manage and implement similar programs in the future;

Increase the availability of data and evidence to strengthen HIV/AIDS, malaria, reproductive health and child survival programs.

For more information about USAID and its programs in Rwanda, visit www.usaid.gov.