Severe poverty and political instability have created many difficulties for people in Haiti and their health care system. In January 2008, the USAID/Haiti-funded LMS Program was launched to help build a unified national commodity security system, improve leadership and management capacity in the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), build capacity of local NGOs working in family planning and HIV/AIDS, coordinate community activities to strengthen HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention initiatives, and address the challenges facing youth in Cité Soleil. Despite the new and enormous obstacles facing the Haitian community after the devastating January 2010 earthquake, LMS actively continues to collaborate with governmental and NGO partners to advance the work.
RESULTS IN COUNTRY
Results have been achieved in three key areas: family planning and reproductive health; commodity management and security; and coordination of community activities to strengthen HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention initiatives.
- Despite multiple obstacles, in just the first month following the January 12 earthquake, LMS distributed more than 1 million family planning commodities: over 1.2 million condoms; 44,000 oral contraceptives; 33,200 injectable methods; and 100 implants.
- In 2009, LMS completed three Leadership Development Programs: one for the MSPP, one for youth and one focusing on commodity management. Selected results included:
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400 pregnant women attending at least two prenatal visits.
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4,450 young people ages10-24 received counseling.
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Delivery of 1,308 hygiene kits to people living with HIV/AIDS
- LMS supported training of 4,000 members of Fonkoze’s microcredit program on family planning and reproductive health matters.
- In August 2009, LMS worked with the Women’s League of Cité Soleil to implement a training program on community distribution of FP commodities; in four months, this program reached more than 10,000 community members
EXPERIENCE IN COUNTRY
