New vaccination initiative collab PAHO/Canada 

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer 

October 19, 2023 – Like the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Haiti, health is at the forefront of efforts to help the nation as it will now have better resilience to dangerous diseases through a new initiative by PAHO and Canada.

PAHO and the Canadian Government made the announcement on Wednesday October 18th, 2023, of the launch of a joint initiative to help Haiti expand vaccination against what PAHO described in a release as,  “potentially lethal vaccine preventable diseases, including polio, measles, diphtheria and tetanus,”

Canadian Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking at the CARICOM-Canada Summit, October 17th to the 18th, informed that Canada’s Global Initiative Vaccine Equity (CanGIVE), which the partnership is part of, will pour more than 6 million Canadian dollars into the Haitian Health System to increase vaccination reach and missions throughout the Republic.

This overtime will serve as a great help to PAHO as its immunization efforts have met roadblock over the years, as expressed by Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa. 

“Our national communication programs have suffered serious setbacks over the last decade,” he said.

Barbosa continued to add that PAHO has seen “decreases in vaccination coverage rates, inadequate sustainable financing for immunizations and increasing vaccine hesitancy linked in part to misinformation.”

Now, through the collaboration, PAHO and Canada, through CanGIVE, the Republic of Haiti will be able to stand its ground against various diseases such as COVID and diseases included in the regional immunization program such as rubella, congregational rubella syndrome and neonatal tetanus.

CanGive, PAHO says in the release on October 18th, will drive focus on marginalized areas of the country, where there are people in deep urban and rural poverty.  Also, they will make for gender sensitive efforts, providing vaccines that align with the needs of women and girls often marginalized. 

While vaccine rates are being boosted by the initiative, education moves will be made by CanGIVE to enhance and/or build vaccine confidence among Haitians to facilitate the goal of increasing vaccination uptake.

Haiti is a vulnerable nation to diseases due to the security situation, forcing thousands into unhealthy, impoverished lifestyles and blocking access to proper health care.