Japanese Strategic Development Plan for Haiti re-activated, four focuses to improve social services

#Port-au-Prince – Haiti, March 20, 2018 – In a four pronged effort, Japan is poised to help Haiti through a development plan that will span four years and tackle four major areas to pull Haiti out of the mire of social ills.

Now the Strategic Development Plan for Haiti is announced as signed and activated between the Haitian and Japanese Governments with four main focuses, namely:  improvement of sanitary and hygienic conditions; promotion of education; strengthening food security and agriculture and developing an economic base strengthening  environmental conservation and disaster risk management.

The agreement to assist Haiti to become one of the world’s dominant economies by 2030 had an original commitment in 2012, and HaitiLibre on Monday shared that the plan is re-booted but still focused on establishing a strong social base by offering better social services.

#Japan is particularly concerned with healthcare equality for Haitians at home.  

“Given the situation in the country where basic medical care does not benefit the entire population, resulting in the highest juvenile, child and maternal mortality rate the highest among Latin American and Caribbean countries, Japan is committed to improving health services through the development of health and medical infrastructure, building personal capacity and improving management of medical facilities. In the field of sanitation, Japan is also committed to providing safe drinking water, raising awareness of a better hygienic environment and infrastructure development while supporting epidemic control activities including cholera since 2010.”

The World Health Organization reports that 46% of Haitians did not have access to medical care; a statistic which was determine prior to the catastrophic earthquake of 2010.

Add to this concerning statistic is information which emerged in the #BorgenReport of August 2017 which explained that over 52 children of every 1000 die either in child birth or within a year of being born in Haiti. And that 75 per cent of Haitian mothers are actually having their babies at home because they do not have access to medical facilities in their home country.   

“With 55 percent of Haitians living in rural areas, most mothers do not have access to proper medical facilities, emergency transportation, or skilled midwives. This leaves the majority of mothers in Haiti without the proper support through labor.”

The Strategic Development Plan for Haiti is now available online.