22-04-2026 | di COOPI

Haiti. Supporting Myrlande on her journey to a safe childbirth

At six months pregnant, while staying at the Vision Nouvelle school site in Tabarre, Ms. Myrlande Adrien* did not yet know that her journey would be marked by a series of medical alerts and critical moments. An internally displaced person and mother of two children, she lives in a context of extreme precariousness, like thousands of other families in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

During her first encounter with the mobile clinic team of COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale, her health condition immediately raised concerns among health workers, who detected high blood pressure. She was quickly referred to an appropriate health facility, where she was hospitalized for eight days and received adequate medical care. Upon returning to the site, the follow-up did not stop: COOPI teams continued monitoring her pregnancy as part of community-based activities.

At seven months, a new complication arose. Her blood pressure rose again to a worrying level, turning her pregnancy into a high-risk case. Faced with the emergency, another medical referral was organized without delay to ensure rapid access to specialised care.

Upon arrival at the hospital, the situation required an immediate decision. A caesarean section was performed to save the lives of both mother and child, and the newborn was admitted to neonatal care, while Myrlande continued her post-operative recovery.

In the following days, thanks to close medical follow-up, the health of both mother and baby gradually improved. After a period of observation and care, they were finally able to leave the hospital together, in good health.

For Ms. Adrien, this moment marked far more than a hospital discharge: it was the end of a period of anxiety and the beginning of profound relief, made possible by continuous support from the displacement site to the hospital facility.

This individual story illustrates the work carried out under the project “Humanitarian response for protection, health and hygiene in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, Haiti”, implemented by COOPI and funded by the International Organization for Migration.

The teams provide medical consultations, referrals to specialized services, psychosocial support, as well as prevention activities in hygiene, nutrition and protection, in a context marked by the presence of internally displaced persons affected by conflict and violence from organized criminal groups—locally referred to as “gangs”—which control approximately 80% of the capital, including Tabarre, Delmas, Pétion-Ville, and the city center.

Over the past eight months, this intervention has enabled 23,633 people to access essential health care, receive medical support, and be referred to specialized services. In parallel, around 4,000 internally displaced persons have been educated on key health and protection topics, strengthening knowledge, preventive behaviors, and community resilience.

said project manager Beauzile Bregeneve.

This integrated approach aims not only to ensure access to care but also continuous support for the most vulnerable populations, strengthening their dignity, safety, and ability to cope with crises.

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COOPI has been present in Haiti since 2010 with projects aimed at reducing disaster risks, fighting cholera and drought, managing displacement camps, rehabilitating housing, and ensuring food security, in order to reduce vulnerability and strengthen the resilience of Haitian communities.

* fictitious name