WASHINGTON, (CMC) – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$50 million grant to continue addressing food insecurity among vulnerable populations in Haiti and increase the use of preventive and essential health services.

The IDB said that the programme will be implemented by the Haitian Social and Economic Assistance Fund (FAES), which also executes the other ongoing IDB-funded social protection programme in Haiti.

It said in this role, FAES was just awarded the IDB’s 2023 Superheroes of Development Award.

“Large segments of the Haitian population face difficulties accessing food. This new grant, approved by the IDB Executive Board of Directors on November 8, will finance transfers for selected vulnerable families throughout Haiti, conditional on the participation of a family member in small works for the creation, restoration, and maintenance of community assets,” the IDB said in a statement.

It said that a total of 16,000 beneficiaries will receive transfers for three to six months, depending on the magnitude of the project identified by the community and to which they are assigned. The income they will receive is expected to reduce the vulnerability of their households.

The IDB said to improve access to healthcare, the project will provide cash transfers conditional on complying with preventive or healthcare programs and will finance essential healthcare services to 18,000 beneficiaries.

“The initiative will prioritise women in general, lactating women, women heads of households and mono-parental families, victims of gender-based violence, people with disabilities, and older adults.

“In addition, the programme will train medical and administrative personnel in 75 health centers throughout the country and will provide essential medical equipment for selected hospitals. It will set up two blood banks.”

The IDB said that the training will focus on hospital management and clinical protocols for children and maternal health, services related to gender-based violence, and the detection and treatment of chronic patients using a gender-sensitive approach.

To support the efforts of the government and the development community to target and reach the most vulnerable in Haiti, the IDB said the programme will also support the coverage expansion of the Système d’Information of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor and will further scale up the use of the social protection management IT solution “Commcare”.

The IDB grant of US$50 million has a disbursement period of four years.