In the steep mountains and remote villages of Haiti, access to healthcare is a daily challenge. Hospitals and health centers are often too far away, roads difficult, and means of transport non-existent for many. Yet a silent force watches over these communities: Zanmi Lasante’s multi-skilled Community Health Workers (ASCP). These men and women are the first line of defense against the diseases, malnutrition and medical emergencies that threaten the most vulnerable populations.
An Essential Mission
In Haiti, where more than 5.5 million people are in humanitarian need, ASCPs play a crucial role. Trained to provide basic care, they walk miles every day to visit families, vaccinate children, monitor the health of pregnant women, and screen for disease. Their work goes far beyond simply raising awareness: they save lives.
Théodore Dieudonné, a community health worker since 2011, knows just how much every gesture counts. “The training gave me knowledge I didn’t have, but it was in the field that I understood the true scope of my work,” he recounts. Day after day, he strengthens the confidence of local people, becoming a reference for their health.
Between Success and Resistance
But the road is strewn with pitfalls. Some parents refuse to vaccinate their children, influenced by fear or misinformed beliefs. Theodore has learned never to force the issue, but to convince through patience and listening. “Usually, I always get it right in the end,” he says with a smile.
Unfortunately, some stories end in tragedy. Theodore recalls a mother who stubbornly refused to vaccinate her son. A few months later, the child contracted diphtheria. Hospitalized, he narrowly escaped death. When the hospital nurse asked for post-hospital follow-up, she called on Theodore, because she knew he was one of the only people who could provide effective follow-up.
A Pillar of the Haitian Health System
In a country where insecurity and humanitarian crisis hamper access to care, ASCPs are an essential link in the health system. Their work enables them to detect cases of malnutrition early, provide vaccinations, accompany pregnant women and refer serious cases to health centers.
Despite budget restrictions and the suspension of some international aid, their mission cannot come to an end. Because without them, thousands of lives would be left unprotected.
Zanmi Lasante’s community agents don’t wear white coats, but they embody hope and continuity of care in the remotest corners of Haiti. They are proof that health doesn’t start in the hospital, but in the heart of communities, where needs are greatest.
Help us support these heroes of the shadows. Your donation today enables our community agents to continue their mission and bring care to the most isolated populations. Make a donation now.