See our News and Blog pages to keep up-to-date with the latest information. Find out below the context of the situation, our plans and how you can help.
‘One of the greatest privileges I have in Haiti, is spending time with our mobile team, lead and run by a fantastic team of Haitian medics, who passionately provide care to some of the most vulnerable women and children.’ Carwyn Hill, CEO and Co-founder HHA
The Injustice:
One of the main reasons that Haiti has the highest rate of maternal and infant mortality in the Western Hemisphere is that 74% of births take place outside of hospitals with minimal or no medical support. It’s also estimated that around 60% of the population, mainly living in rural areas, lack access to appropriate medical care. Women and children are often denied care due to the location of their town or village, a lack of financial capacity, or a lack of time or support, due to the expectations placed upon them within their family or community.
Our Response:
We recognise that whilst specialist medical care in our hospital is important, so too is the need to reach women in the most isolated communities. In partnership with Konbit Sante, Direct Relief International and the Haitian Ministry of Health in North Haiti, we’re run outreach work and mobile clinics to a population of over 175,000 people.
The mobile service provides access for women to pre and postnatal consultations, including laboratory tests, and assistance from a small mobile pharmacy that provides basic medications and distributes vitamins. The service also supports children, and provides health eduction to families on how best to care for their families, focusing on sanitation, nutrition, family planning and other community health needs.
Aside from reaching women and children marginalised by their geographical location, the service also supports women isolated from health care in other ways. For instance, pregnant teenagers or victims of rape and sexual abuse often approach our mobile team for support, when they’d be too scared to approach a formal medical clinic. Women are then encouraged to attend our hospital or a government facility for more specialised follow up care.
