UNFPA's Work in Haiti
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- Reproductive Health Supplies
- Obstetric and Newborn Care
- Gender-Based Violence and Protection
- Young People
- Communicating With Communities
- Assessment and Data Collection
Before the quake, Haiti was the most dangerous place to be pregnant in the Western Hemisphere, with the lifetime risk of dying in childbirth 1 in 47. Haitian women and children were also vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking and physical and sexual abuse. UNFPA's work in Haiti focuses on: assistance in the area of maternal and reproductive health for the affected population; protecting women and girls against gender based violence; helping young people recover and collecting reliable data on the affected population and their needs.
Delivering emergency reproductive health supplies
UNFPA is working with partners to deliver emergency reproductive health supplies to hospitals and health facilities throughout Port-au-Prince. To date, the organization has distributed enough kits to serve a population of 1.5 million. The kits include equipment, supplies and medicines for safe deliveries, including for emergency obstetric interventions, such as caesarean operations and blood transfusions. The kits also contain medicines and supplies to treat sexually transmitted infections and provide post-rape care. The kits are being distributed to hospitals, clinics and the health centers that have been established in the spontaneous settlements where the displaced are living.
UNFPA is also helping to safeguard the personal hygiene and health of women and girls by providing dignity kits which include items such as sanitary napkins, anti-bacterial soap, underwear, towels and washing supplies. More than 25,000 dignity kits have been distributed and another 150,000 are in the pipeline. UNFPA is distributing the kits in partnership with the Ministry for Women.
Increasing the availability of emergency obstetric and newborn care
UNFPA is working in a number of areas to improve delivery and newborn care. The availability of emergency obstetric was very limited before the earthquake, and today access to these services is even more limited. There is a serious shortage of experienced midwives and maternity clinics to meet the needs of women in the impacted area. As a result, UNFPA is recruiting senior midwives to commit to working in Haiti for a minimum of one year.
