Delivering Results! Canadian partners in Haiti

In February 2018, an official Call to Action brought Canadian partners working in Haiti together to better coordinate Canada’s interventions in strengthening the Haitian health system. The Call to Action was a result of a dialogue between Global Affairs Canada, CanWaCH and Canadian actors working in Haiti, that began in April 2017 in Sherbrooke, Quebec. A total of 26 Canadian organizations and academic institutions endorsed the call and made a commitment to work together. 

Impact 

• Reduced the cholera transmission rate of communities at the heart of the epidemic to zero! (Mennonite Central Committee)
• To date, Canadian & Haitian trainers have trained more than 2,000 practitioners in the field! (The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada)
• 161 mother’s clubs created, 10 health centres rehabilitated and strengthened, and 27,703 home visits made. (Fondation Paul Gerin-Lajoie, TRANSNUT Université de Montréal)
• Since the 2010 earthquake, the Canadian Red Cross has trained hundreds of volunteers who raise awareness among 10,000 households per month on good practices in family planning, hygiene and sanitation, diarrhea and malaria prevention, first aid and violence prevention. 
• Since 2014, The Port-au-Prince Public Health Summer University course implemented annually for all actors in the health as well as other sectors who contribute to improving the health of the Haitian population (RÉFIPS)

Call for Action snapshot 

• 43 projects are being implemented in Haiti, of which 11 are being funded by Global Affairs Canada.
• Four health areas of focus are covered on average per project with the top three areas being: maternal and neonatal health; sexual reproductive health and rights; and provision of services in health centres.
• Projects cover all 10 departments of Haiti.  
• Projects range from a local, regional and national scope.
• Canadian organisations are partnering with each other on some of these projects.

How did we do it? 

• Online tools were created to facilitate communication between partners working in Haiti, including the coordination of activities with the Haitian government, access to national reports, statistics, protocols and much more. 
• A map of Haiti showcasing the health-related work of Canadian actors was created and all projects were added to CanWaCH’s Project Explorer.  
• A network was created to connect staff members who are responsible for monitoring, reporting and analyzing the work being done in Haiti by Canadian organizations; this network now includes more than 50 staff based in Canada or Haiti.

What’s next? 

The year is off to a very exciting start with the Spotlight on Haiti series on the Lead On Canada Facebook page. The Spotlight is shining a bright light on 16 of the 26 organizations taking part in the Call to Action by showcasing Canadian health leadership through their work in Haiti. 

On January 22, 2019, there was a partners’ meeting with the Haitian Ministry of Health in Port-au-Prince. All Canadian partners and Global Affairs Canada are dedicated to continuing to work together towards the goal of improving the health and wellbeing of Haitians.