Abstract:
Reproductive healthcare (RH) in Haiti has always been in a state of crisis. A country constantly challenged by political unrest or natural disasters has made access to reliable healthcare difficult. Haitian women and girls have only known inconsistent access to crucial RH services such as contraceptives, post and antenatal care and family planning resources. After the devastating earthquake in 2010, local and international non-governmental organizations as well as the Haitian Ministry of Health have been struggling to address all aspects of reproductive healthcare during the rebuilding process. In this paper, secondary interviews are used that were conducted in several camps surrounding Port-au-Prince by researchers from Human Rights Watch. Several reports were used prior to the earthquake as an assessment of the status of reproductive health services prior to the disaster as a basis of comparison to the immediate response following the quake. In a report carried out by JSI, they found that Haiti was constantly functioning “in crisis”, therefore when the earthquake struck, the methods used to address reproductive health which were already under strain, were easily dismissed in order to address more “serious” health crises. Three years after the earthquake, there have been several advances made by both the Haitian Ministry of Health and international health allies such as Partners in Health in addressing reproductive health as well as advocating for a stronger public health system. Recognizing the direct link between women’s health and a country’s development, coordination between the Haitian government and the local and international NGOs will be the key to establishing easier access to reproductive health services and the beginning of a new chapter for Haiti’s healthcare system.
