As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates worldwide, its negative effects on the health of women and girls are already being felt. While the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates there could be 7 million unintended pregnancies globally due to the pandemic, the World Bank predicts that in Haiti, maternal mortality would increase by 14% over the next 12 months.
Doctors of the World is particularly concerned about the setbacks observed in access to sexual and reproductive health services for Haitian women and is already witnessing the effects on the ground.
In Haiti, the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded more than a year of socio-political crisis marked by insecurity, blockades, and violence, not to mention the devaluation of the gourde and other humanitarian crises that have affected the country in recent years. While the country currently reports 7,511 confirmed cases (August 4, 2020) of COVID-19, the Haitian healthcare system is already severely weakened and cannot cope with the pandemic while maintaining regular health services. Access to healthcare is further compromised by the suspension of certain services, the recurring shortage of staff in primary health centers and hospitals, and the lack of basic supplies.
Doctors of the World has observed a 12% drop in institutional deliveries and a 24% decrease in prenatal consultations from March to April 2020 compared to the same months the previous year, even though the number of deliveries in healthcare institutions targeted by its programs had increased by 92% between 2017 and 2020*.
From the onset of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended prioritizing sexual and reproductive health services to prevent an increase in maternal and infant mortality.
It is urgent that the Government of Canada invest now in maintaining and strengthening women’s access to and right to sexual and reproductive health services in Haiti, particularly for women in the most remote and marginalized regions, to prevent a setback in women’s health.
*Health Information System of targeted institutions in the Nord-Ouest, Nippes departments, and at the Fontaine Hospital Center in Cité Soleil.