Improving Maternal Health Access in Rural Haiti

Summary

In 2025, the Saint Rock Haiti Foundation (SRHF) committed to expanding access to maternal health care in rural Haiti through a three-year, four-part model. This initiative will reach more than 3,500 women annually in the mountainous rural communities of Carrefour, where women often walk up to four hours, sometimes while in labor, to reach a clinic. SRHF’s commitment includes establishing two maternal waiting homes, formalizing and equipping a network of 15 traditional birth attendants, expanding its community health worker team from eight to 14, and strengthening outpatient clinic services. In partnership with Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and two referral hospitals, SRHF will improve care coordination and support more than 10,000 safe pregnancies by 2029. By training local health workers, equipping health facilities, and investing in culturally grounded care models, this commitment aims to reduce maternal mortality and improve outcomes for pregnant women and newborns in underserved regions.

Approach

The Saint Rock Haiti Foundation (SRHF) commits to expanding access to maternal health care in rural Haiti through an integrated, four-part model. This commitment will reach over 3,500 women annually through the creation of maternal waiting homes (MWH) , a network of trained community birth attendants (matrones) , an expanded community health worker program, and strengthened clinical services. The initiative will contribute to strengthening Haiti’s public health system by partnering with two state-run facilities and the Ministry of Public Health and Population.
SRHF will establish two MWHs, one in Saint Rock and one in Macaco, offering 18 beds, emergency supplies, and 24/7 ambulance transport. These homes will be linked to the Carrefour Maternity Center and Raoul Pierre Louis Hospital. Together, the homes will serve approximately 800 high-risk pregnant women annually and improve referral systems and birth preparedness. SRHF will also hire a social worker to provide mental health support for pregnant women, especially those who have experienced sexual violence or other forms of trauma.
While the preferred standard of care is safe, facility-based delivery, SRHF recognizes that structural barriers prevent many women from reaching a clinic in time. To ensure they are not left behind, SRHF will equip a network of 15 community matrones with training, delivery kits, and stipends. Each matron will assist 100 births per year, reaching up to 1,500 women annually with skilled, community-based care and connections to clinical services.
SRHF will expand its team of paid community health workers from eight to 14, equipping them with training, supplies, and motorcycles to increase rural coverage. Each CHW will follow 80–100 pregnant women per year, reaching approximately 1,200 women with prenatal and postnatal education, home visits, and referrals.
Finally, SRHF will enhance its two outpatient clinics by hiring an OB/GYN, training 12 nurses and one midwife, and ensuring that all 3,500+ women receive care across the full continuum—from home to clinic to hospital.

Action Plan

Q1, January–March 2026: SRHF will launch its three-year maternal health expansion strategy. The team will finalize facility designs for two maternal waiting homes (MWHs) and establish formal partnerships with Carrefour Maternity Center and Raoul Pierre Louis Hospital. SRHF will recruit 15 matrones, 6 new community health workers, and 1 OB/GYN. Staff will also begin procuring motorcycles, birth kits, and training materials.
Q2, April–June 2026: SRHF will complete training for matrones and onboard community health workers, who will begin outreach in their assigned rural zones. Clinical staff will launch training programs for nurses at SRHF’s health centers. Construction teams will begin work on the MWHs in Saint Rock and Macaco, preparing sites for staffing and service launch.
Q3, July–September 2026: SRHF will continue construction and renovations at both sites. As the homes near completion, the team will hire 1 social worker and 4 midwives to undergo orientation and training with the clinical team. SRHF will also finalize supply procurement and prepare emergency transport systems.
Q4, October–December 2026: SRHF will open both MWHs and begin serving high-risk pregnant women. These homes will connect directly to referral hospitals, each averaging 1,000 deliveries per year.
2027–2028: SRHF will expand outreach, strengthen referral systems, and improve hospital coordination with the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) (the Communal Carrefour Sanitation Office) , Carrefour Maternity Center, and Raoul Pierre Louis Hospital. Staff will conduct ongoing training, monitor patient outcomes, and refine service delivery. By January 2029, SRHF will operate the full model at scale and complete a final evaluation and sustainability plan to reach 8,500 women over three years.

Background

Haiti has the highest maternal mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere, according to UNICEF. In rural areas, the poorest women often give birth at home, often without access to a skilled birth attendant, emergency transport, or healthcare facilities. In the mountainous region of Saint Rock, pregnant women commonly walk two to four hours, sometimes while in active labor, to reach the nearest clinic. Many do not arrive in time, leading to complications from unattended births and preventable maternal deaths.
These risks are compounded by systemic weaknesses in Haiti’s health infrastructure. Public hospitals are overcrowded, under-resourced, and difficult to access due to fuel shortages, insecurity, and poor road conditions. Many facilities lack the supplies and trained personnel needed to manage obstetric emergencies. Weak coordination between rural communities and hospitals leads to delayed or missed referrals and preventable complications.
Home births remain the norm in much of rural Haiti, yet traditional birth attendants, known as matrones, typically work without formal training, medical equipment, or links to the national health system. Community health workers, while vital, are too few and under-equipped to meet the needs of dispersed rural populations for prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care.
Without timely, integrated care, thousands of women in Haiti continue to face preventable deaths during pregnancy and childbirth. Saint Rock Haiti Foundation (SRHF) has worked for over two decades to close critical maternal health gaps in rural Haiti. Through two outpatient clinics, mobile units, and a Community Health Worker (CHW) program, SRHF delivers care to 100,000 registered patients, 75% of whom are women and children. The organization provides over 1,500 prenatal visits annually, delivering HIV/STI/anemia screenings, prenatal vitamins, nutrition assessments, ultrasounds, and birth plans. CHWs support postnatal care, ensuring early follow-ups, breastfeeding education, and vaccinations. SRHF also integrates mental health support, cervical cancer screenings, and social services to address the broader needs of women throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Progress Update

Partnership Opportunities

SRHF seeks strategic partners to help expand and sustain its maternal health initiative in rural Haiti. Specifically, SRHF welcomes collaboration with organizations that can provide funding, implementation support, supply chain logistics, clinical training, or digital health tools to enhance referral systems and community-level care. In addition, SRHF welcomes media and advocacy partners to help raise awareness about maternal health challenges and promote solutions rooted in community resilience and equity.,Saint Rock Haiti Foundation (SRHF) has over 20 years of experience delivering primary care, maternal health services, and community-based programming in rural Haiti. SRHF brings deep local knowledge, established trust with community members, and longstanding relationships with MSPP and referral hospitals. As part of this commitment, SRHF is offering its implementation experience, training protocols, and monitoring frameworks related to maternal health, community health worker models, and localization. SRHF is also open to sharing lessons learned and best practices from its integrated approach to maternal health, particularly in fragile and low-resource settings. SRHF is excited and welcomes the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with other CGI members focused on maternal health, community-based systems, and rural healthcare delivery.