Project profile — Maternal and Child Health in Léogâne and Gressier

• Canada (3.16%)
• Haiti (96.84%)

• Basic health care:
Basic health care (12220) (37.00%)
Basic health infrastructure (12230) (39.00%)
Health personnel development (12281) (18.00%)
• Unallocated/ Unspecified: Promotion of development awareness (99820) (6.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Children's issues (principal objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)

This project aims to reduce mortality rates among pregnant women, newborns and children under five in Haiti by supporting four healthcare facilities in providing obstetrics and neonatal emergency services. Haiti is one of the countries most affected by maternal mortality and child morbidity. The towns of Leogane and Gressier are located in the West department, where the population is densest and highest. This is also where the use of health institutions, consultations, coverage and assisted deliveries are lowest. Project activities include: (1) training healthcare personnel in reproductive health; (2) implementing a network of 50 polyvalent community health workers to increase offer and usage of available maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services; (3) rehabilitating and building community healthcare centres to facilitate efficient service delivery; (4) stocking community healthcare centres in target communities with medical supplies, basic medicine and necessary medical equipment; and (5) implementing a functional and effective integrated approach and coordinating mechanism amongst main stakeholders. The project directly benefits approximately 30,000 women, men and children residing in the Léogâne and Gressier communities, and benefits indirectly 224,000 people living in these two communities surrounding areas. It also contributes to helping 15,000 people in Canada to understand issues related to maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) in Haiti. The project is implemented by a consortium lead by the Léger Foundation in collaboration with the Centre de coopération internationale en santé et développement (CCISD). It is also implemented with the collaboration of the following local partners: l’Unité Communale de Santé (UCS) de Léogane, under the Direction Sanitaire de l’Ouest of the Ministry of Public Health and Population of the Government of Haiti, and the Sœurs Missionnaires du Christ Roi.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improving gender-sensitive healthcare service delivery provided to mothers, pregnant women and girls, newborns and children under five; (2) improving the rate at which mothers, pregnant women and girls, newborns and children under five use basic healthcare services; and (3) improving Canadians’ understanding and engagement in maternal, newborn and child health issues.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (November 2021) included: (1) The capacity of three health centres providing basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care was improved, and the Léogâne Mother and Child Centre and a basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care centre were turned into a comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care centre; (2) the percentage of children under the age of 1 who received the three doses of pentavalent vaccine at the eight partner health facilities increased from 65% (2,918) in 2015 to 87% (20,010) in 2021, with a cumulative total of 20,010 children vaccinated during the project; (3) the number of pregnant women who received at least four antenatal visits increased from 1,019 (25% of the target population) in 2015 to 3,612 (88% of the target population) in 2021 at project-supported facilities; (4) the country’s health information system was improved with gender-specific data and environmental conditions in the two target districts were added. The speed of data transmission between the project-supported facilities and the district health authority increased from 50% to 56%, and the completeness rate increased from 60% to 96%; and (5) 50 people (27 women and 23 men) made a commitment to improve maternal and newborn health issues in Haiti.

• Proactive disclosure