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Despite Challenges in Haiti, Local Groups Work Together to Keep Health Services Going
As some hospitals and health facilities have limited services or shut down due to staffing and security challenges, those who remain have partnered to navigate customs, safe roadways, storage space, and medication deliveries together.
Health providers at Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti wait to receive a patient at the health facility. The 200-bed hospital provides critical care in Haiti and has been asked to do more as larger facilties have shuttered due to ongoing civil unrest in the country. (Courtesy photo)
“L’union fait la force” or “Unity is strength.” It’s Haiti’s national motto, and one that Jessica Laguerre emphasized on a phone call with Direct Relief in September 2025.
Laguerre is the chief operating officer of Hospital Albert Schweitzer in central Haiti, and said the power of the country lies in the collaboration of its people.
As security issues persist in the Caribbean nation, health workers said it has become increasingly difficult to import medications and medical supplies. Many doctors and nurses have fled Haiti for their own safety, forcing hospitals to decrease services or shut down. Those who remain have partnered to navigate customs, safe roadways, storage space, and medication deliveries together.
Even though the need for treatments to improve health conditions is growing, health workers in Haiti say that smaller, targeted shipments and strategic navigation among partners have ensured their safety and treatment for patients.
A health provider at Hospital Albert Schweitzer cares for an infant. (Courtesy photo)
“The biggest thing is to continue to maintain strong ties with community leaders and community members so that we are in tune when there are issues with shipments or in transit,” Laguerre said.
Laguerre’s 200-bed hospital typically orders medications and supplies in bulk due to the many services it provides to patients. Laguerre said that the hospital saw a 20% increase in occupancy as larger hospitals have been forced to reduce services or shut down. When gang activity prevents large deliveries of high-cost medications, the hospital leans on local relationships to maintain the ability to provide care.
Some of those local partner organizations were secured through the Haiti Health Network. The network is a project of the Dalton Foundation and operates to support and strengthen Haiti’s healthcare system. There are over 400 healthcare organizations involved, with 125 based in northern Haiti.
Haiti Health Network staff deliver medical aid, including Direct Relief midwife kits, to health facilities across the country. (Photo courtesy of HHN)
Barbara Campbell, executive director of the Dalton Foundation, said that the ability to purchase medication in Haiti has drastically reduced since the start of the conflict and has only gotten worse over time. The foundation has imported donated medications, but there is a high tax on imports.
Campbell said that the ambiguity of customs charges has made it more difficult to import medications, especially those that need to be used quickly or require cold chain storage.
The Foundation has prioritized small, pulse shipments to prevent high costs and backlog in customs. Once in country, they rely on local partners for distribution.
There is a great need for insulin, HIV medications, antibiotics, hypoglycemic supports, and anesthesia. General medical supplies, like gloves and sutures, are also needed, as well as medical supplies for family planning.
“What really boggles me about what’s going on in Haiti is how little people really seem to care about it,” she said. “I think there are a lot of problems in the world right now, and I definitely don’t want to minimize those or even take any attention away, but what’s going on in Haiti, I will argue, is drastically more barbaric.”
Campbell also said that more than 60% of medical staff in Port-au-Prince have fled the country, resulting in diminished access to care and medication for residents.
“The people you’re losing are administrators, accountants, physicians, and surgeons,” Campbell said. “You’re losing really key personnel that you don’t have a lot of candidates lined up to fill those spots.”
A health worker with Hope for Haiti takes a patient’s blood pressure. (Courtesy photo)
The danger and violence in the area have increased awareness around distribution methods. When new medical shipments are released from customs, the organizations contact one another to determine passable roadways for medical deliveries.
“So much of our success is rooted in our ability to collaborate with partners,” said Skyler Badenoch. “We share resources and information. We share strategy, and that allows us to be more effective.”
Badenoch is CEO of Hope for Haiti, a charity that provides support to the Haitian people. They’ve partnered with organizations within the Haiti Health Network for the past year. Badenoch said he recently visited the organization’s infirmary in southern Haiti and saw 200 people waiting in line for medical care.
The CEO said they are focusing on the gaps in care, from nutritional supports like prenatal vitamins to more chronic issues that require expensive, daily medications. According to Badenoch, there is an acute shortage of access to healthcare and access to chronic care medications.
“What’s important to note is hypertension and diabetes and asthma and infection take no days off; they’re relentless,” he said.
Each day, there are more displaced families, and the need for integrated and routine health services grows.
Laguerre said there is an evolving need for vaccinations, nutrition services, and regular appointments to prevent worsening health conditions.
“I think the situation is extremely challenging, but it’s pushing all actors on the ground to see what they can do and address the needs that are constantly shifting,” Laguerre said.
Hospital Albert Schweitzer, Haiti Health Network, and Hope for Haiti have all received medical support from Direct Relief in response to current health needs in Haiti. Direct Relief has provided more than $430 million in medical support to health organizations across the country since the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
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