Canada and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have just signed an important agreement for Haiti, the Essential Health Care for Mothers and Children (SESAME) project.

Thisnew partnership between aims to reduce the number of maternal and infant deaths addressing reproductive needs of women as well as health care priorities of newborns and infants in Haiti.

The SESAME project aims to improve the health, the lives and rights of women and children in Haiti and to advance the unfinished agenda on women’s health from a development perspective. Its strategy is to provide greater access to quality sexual and reproductive health services for women, and postnatal care for mothers and their children in the context of extreme poverty. It is also an essential contribution to strengthening the organization of health services at both the national and regional level.

The SESAME (Essential care for Mothers and Children) project, will support 45 referral hospitals, 10 at the departmental level and 35 community hospitals in all departments in the countryThe core interventions will provide increase the number of women who give birth in a health institution with quality health care and without financial barriers.

"The project will improve the well-being of Haitian women and children through an innovative approach that strengthens core health services functions, with renewed efforts to implement solutions and stay resilient after recent downturns in Haiti," added Dr. Codina, representative of PAHO/WHO in Haiti.

Key components of the project include : establishing performance based contracting ; developing a strengthening plans for each hospital; trainingto improve personnel competencies of on sexual and reproductive health and child health. Furthermore, improving hospital management and improve information system to have quality health data.

The CA $39.8 million project will be executed by PAHO/WHO in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada over the course of four years.

HL/ HaitiLibre