Haiti

Unrest also temporarily disrupted the water distribution network, reducing supply and creating ideal conditions for the resurgence of cholera. As the outbreak spread, the health situation soon became dire, as even basic services had become practically inaccessible due to the ongoing violence and the fuel crisis, which has continued long after access to the oil terminal was restored.

To alleviate these problems, our teams continue to deliver a range of medical services in the capital and other parts of the country despite huge challenges in obtaining fuel and medical supplies and in referring patients between different facilities. In addition to running and supporting hospitals and health centers, we operate mobile clinics in the most affected neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, such as Brooklyn, Bel’Air, Bas Delmas, and Delmas 4. We are able to work in these hard-to-reach areas because MSF’s work is perceived positively and is respected by the communities.

Sexual and gender-based violence

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a widespread issue in Haiti. The deepening socio-economic crisis and high levels of gang-related warfare have had a considerable impact on the psyche of entire communities. MSF runs two clinics, one in Port-au-Prince and another further north in Gonaïves, and supports three hospitals providing victims of SGBV with specialist medical, psychological, and social care. A free telephone helpline has decreased barriers to care, offering remote psychological support and referrals to health centers. Our mobile clinics working in unsafe, hard-to-reach neighborhoods include SGBV care in their services.

Maternal health

The provision and accessibility of maternal health care is extremely limited in Haiti, contributing to one of the highest maternal death rates in the world. Our activities in the south of the country aim to respond to the pressing needs in this area. In 2022, we expanded our sexual and reproductive health activities at our clinic in Port-à-Piment, in Haiti’s southwest, and started to offer surgery for complicated obstetric cases, as well as ante- and neonatal care.

Emergency response to a cholera outbreak

Overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions and poor access to clean water were factors in a major resurgence of cholera, a disease that has killed around 10,000 people in Haiti since 2010, when an epidemic hit the country in the wake of a major earthquake.

Following the arrival of the first suspected cholera cases at MSF facilities in late September, we admitted approximately 13,000 patients to our six cholera treatment centers (CTCs) in and around Port-au-Prince by the end of the year. In addition, we treated around 2,500 patients in the four CTCs we opened in the department of Artibonite, north of the capital.

Our teams responded to the outbreak across the country, supporting local communities by chlorinating water points and raising awareness on hygiene measures in some of the worst-affected neighborhoods. In December, we provided logistical support to the cholera vaccination campaign carried out by the Ministry of Health, to ensure that the highest number of people possible were immunized against the disease.