The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched the ANIMA-AA Kit, a new practical tool designed to support health care workers in identifying, responding to, and supporting children and adolescents affected by violence, according to a press release issued on 16 June 2026 in Washington, D.C. The initiative aims to strengthen frontline health services across the Americas, where violence remains a widespread and urgent public health challenge. It places particular emphasis on preventing sexual violence, which affects 1 in 6 girls under the age of 18. The kit was developed with the support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). It addresses a persistent gap in training and tools available to health workers across the region.
Violence is highly prevalent in the region, and sexual violence is of particular concern, as it disproportionately affects girls. Among adolescents aged 15 to 19, 1 in 5 experience physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner, according to PAHO/WHO estimates. Based on UNICEF data, 1 in 6 girls are subjected to sexual violence before the age of 18. Child marriage, affecting 1 in 5 girls, further increases the risk of violence and adolescent pregnancy. Together, these figures highlight the scale of the problem and its impact on physical, mental, social and reproductive health.
A tool for health workers
Health workers are often the first point of contact for survivors, yet they frequently lack the training and practical tools needed to provide timely, appropriate and empathetic care. The ANIMA-AA Kit provides concise, accessible, and easy-to-use guidance tailored to everyday clinical practice. It has a particular focus on girls, who face heightened risks and greater barriers to being heard and accessing services. The toolkit can be applied immediately in primary care and emergency settings. Every interaction, and every hour, can be critical, particularly following sexual assault.
The ANIMA-AA model promotes first-line support as an essential health service and organizes it into seven practical steps: attentive listening, non-judgmental validation, identifying and responding to needs, improving safety, offering support, creating child-friendly environments, and supporting caregivers. “Health services can be a turning point in the lives of children and adolescents experiencing violence,” said Britta Baer, Advisor on violence and injury prevention at PAHO. “A compassionate, timely, and non-judgmental response can mean the difference between continued harm and the beginning of protection and recovery.” Despite the high prevalence of violence, relatively few cases are identified within health services. Without timely identification and response, violence often continues and escalates, leading to more severe and lasting consequences.
The development of the ANIMA-AA Toolkit reflects a participatory process involving direct input from adolescents and young people across the region. Their perspectives and recommendations were gathered through national workshops in Argentina, Bolivia and Honduras, as well as a regional dialogue that brought together youth representatives, health sector actors and other stakeholders. This process was carried out in collaboration with PAHO’s Youth for Health group. PAHO is calling on countries, health institutions and partners to adopt and implement the ANIMA-AA approach. The organization is also urging investment in training and systems that enable health workers to deliver high-quality, survivor-centered care.
