Minister Bibeau concludes trip to Haiti and announces new support for health and agricultural sectors

February 21, 2018 - Port-au-Prince, Haiti - Global Affairs Canada

Canada believes that it is important to promote the health and well‑being of all citizens, particularly women and girls, and that this is a critical factor in advancing sustainable development. To achieve this goal, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today announced eight projects for Haiti’s health and agricultural sectors.

Despite improvements in many health indicators in Haiti, slightly over half the children born there are delivered without medical assistance and the country lacks health care workers. Canada’s support will help build Haitian authorities’ capacity to recruit and train midwives in the most underserved regions. This investment will also improve access to sexual and reproductive health services for Haitian women.

Agriculture provides 80% of rural employment. Women are present in almost all agricultural sectors, but their economic power remains weak. Canada’s support for five new agri-food sector initiatives will increase economic opportunities for Haitians, particularly women and youth. These initiatives will also increase communities’ resilience with respect to climate change.

During her trip, Minister Bibeau also had excellent discussions with Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse and Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant on topics of shared interest, including investing in health and coordinating donors’ efforts. She also visited projects funded by Canada and met representatives of key Canadian development organizations working in Haiti’s health sector. These partners reiterated their commitment to more concerted action to better coordinate Canadian assistance in Haiti.