©️WFP
Cayes, September 4, 2025.- The Southern Department is experiencing an alarming increase in maternal mortality. Over 343 pregnant women died in 2024-2025, compared to about 200 in the previous year. Among them, nearly 150 adolescents under 19 years of age are particularly vulnerable to pregnancy complications. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling for the urgent strengthening of maternal health care.
The trend is worrying: in the Southern Department, maternal mortality increased sharply in one year. According to data collected by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), 343 maternal deaths per 100,000 births were recorded in 2024-2025, compared to 200 in 2023.
It is all the more dramatic that almost half of the victims were teenage girls under 19 years of age. « This category is particularly exposed to serious complications »says Samora Chalmers, MSF Deputy Head of Mission in Haiti.
The humanitarian organisation recalls that pregnancy remains a high-risk stage and stresses the need for equitable access to adequate health services throughout the country. « During pregnancy, women must receive quality care. This is an essential and high-risk step », insists Mrs Chalmers.
Faced with this alarming situation, MSF announces its intention to intensify its actions in the South, in close collaboration with local authorities, in order to reduce the number of preventable deaths. The organization also recommends the establishment of an accessible and effective care system for all women, especially adolescent girls.
W.A.
