The islands of the Caribbean have HIV rates second only to those of sub-Saharan Africa. Two hours from the South Florida shores, the island of Hispaniola has the highest rates in this hemisphere.There, in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, heroes have fought the epidemic with little but conviction and courage - some with new help from U.S. funding, some continuing without, but all with optimism.

The programs in this series highlight the heroic efforts of health professionals to enhance prevention efforts and treat those suffering the effects of HIV/AIDS.

LEARN MORE:
Learn more about the Heroes of HIV initiative, which includes curriculum materials for educators and health policy professionals, as well as interactive presentations.

Also, read about the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and its efforts to raise the standard of coverage of global affairs, and to do so in a way that engages both the broad public and government policy-makers.

For information on the United Nation's initiatives to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS, click on the UNAIDS Caribbean report.