December 2009
Leading researchers and policymakers from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico convened in September 2009 to launch a multi-country collaboration on the issue of human trafficking and HIV/AIDS along the countries’ borders, in an exchange sponsored in part by 4th Sector Health. Human and sex trafficking is increasingly discussed as potentially critical in the spread of HIV/AIDS, and Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico are countries with intensive cross-border traffic. Until now, the issue of human trafficking has not been included in most HIV/AIDS programs and policies in these countries due to the lack of information on the topic and the complexities of the cross-border issue. The 13 exchange participants, representing universities, governments, NGOs and international organizations, assembled for five days in Chetumal, Mexico, to develop a multicountryresearch proposal on human and sexual trafficking and discuss the potential applications of the results in service provision, advocacy, future research and cooperation among the institutions.