PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says it has sent a shipment of almost three tonnes of essential medicines and health supplies to Haiti as part of its commitment to addressing the prolonged humanitarian crisis in the country.

It said that the supplies from its Strategic Reserve in Panama have since arrived in Port-au-Prince and include surgical care kits for trauma patients, syringes, personal protective equipment for health workers, emergency medical backpacks, and other general medical supplies needed to meet urgent health needs.

PAHO said that the Strategic Reserve also supported the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population in the cold chain storage of laboratory supplies and surveillance kits for COVID-19, influenza A/B, dengue, and HIV, which were included in the shipment.

“Strategic collaboration with Haitian health authorities and humanitarian partners has enabled PAHO to continue to support those most in need, particularly amid difficulties accessing international ports of entry. As a result, the organisation has been able to mobilise a total of 254 tonnes of medical supplies for Haiti since the beginning of 2024,” PAHO said in a statement.

The PAHO/World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Haiti, Dr Oscar Barrenech, said increasing violence, including blockades at ports and airports, has hampered the health sector’s capacity to deliver humanitarian aid to the communities in Haiti that need it the most.

“These humanitarian shipments coordinated by PAHO have been a lifeline in supporting the continued delivery of both emergency treatment and routine healthcare services for Haitians,” he added.

PAHO said the shipment was made possible thanks to PAHO’s close coordination with the Haiti Logistics Cluster, the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot in Panama and the World Food Programme (WFP) as operational partners.

Amidst the escalation of armed violence since September 2022, PAHO has supported the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population in maintaining essential health services.  The situation is particularly severe in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, where only 42 per cent of health facilities remain fully operational.

A further 16 per cent are partially functional, and 42 per cent have been forced to close altogether, severely restricting access to healthcare for millions of Haitians.

PAHO said last year also saw a dramatic acceleration in internal displacement, with over a million people fleeing their homes, primarily in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, many of them taking refuge in sites for internally displaced persons (IDP).

It said this marks a threefold increase in displacement within a year, rising from 315,000 in December 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“The lack of adequate medical resources has exacerbated the crisis, leading to complex health challenges in IDP sites, where overcrowding, poor sanitation and limited access to healthcare increase the risk of disease outbreaks.

“PAHO continues to work closely with the Haitian authorities and international organisations to ensure that medical aid reaches those who need it the most and ensure that health professionals in Haiti are able to continue their mission of saving lives and improving the health of affected communities, efficiently and effectively,” PAHO added.