Policy Gaps in Haiti

 

Hi everyone! In our previous blog I talked about Haiti's economy and touched on some policy gaps in Haiti. This blog I want to talk about the policy gaps in Haiti more in depth, and even offer potential solutions. I will mostly talk about education and healthcare policy gaps in Haiti. 

In the previous blog I talked about Haiti has 10 administrative departments: Ouest, Artibonite, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord Quest, Centre, Sud, Grand'Anse, Nippes, and Sud-Est. Ouest is the center of Haiti's deepest policy crisis. Although It contains the highest number of schools and hospitals, and infrastructure, many of these facilities ar private facilities, which many of Haiti's residents cannot afford. 80% percent of schools are also private schools, and depend on families to pay in order to get access to education, but over half of Haiti's population lives below the poverty line. This means that thousands of the new young generations living in Haiti do not have access to education. Although there are a few public schools, they lack infrastructure and are frequently closed due to gang violence and police strikes. Which leads to another big problem in Ouest, which is the gang violence. recently gang violence in Haiti has reached drastic levels, reshaping the daily life for millions. In Haiti's capital there are over 200 armed gangs These groups have formed alliances, taken over police stations, blocked key highways, and established informal borders within the city, often extorting “fees” for movement and access. Gangs are slowly taking over Haiti and not just in education, but also in healthcare. In 2023 and 2024 major hospitals in Haiti have experienced kidnapping, threatened, and forced to flee. This impacted thousands of elderly pregnant women without care, leading to many deaths. These policy gaps are not only specific to Ouest, but are prevalent in all 10 regions. 

Although this may seem like the future of Haiti is unsalvageable it is not. In this paragraph I am gonna touch on ways for Haiti to revamp stronger. The first thing Haiti has to address is the gang violence. This means revamping the security and laws. The only way for Haiti to revamp its government means they need international support. A well-coordinated, UN-authorized multinational force (currently led by Kenya) must be deployed quickly and with clear goals — not just to patrol streets, but to support the Haitian National Police in regaining control of gang-controlled zones and protecting public infrastructure like hospitals and schools. Community-based policing: Local security programs, supported by NGOs and community leaders, should train and empower youth to resist gang recruitment, mediate conflict, and restore safety from within. Disarmament and reintegration: Programs that offer gang members alternatives — job training, education, housing — are key to reducing the cycle of violence long-term. Next Haiti should focus on revamping public education. Public investment in school reconstruction: Especially in disaster-hit regions like Sud and Grand’Anse, rebuilding should be prioritized with quake-resistant design and safe sanitation infrastructure. Universal free primary education: Haiti must recommit to this goal — phasing out tuition fees and informal costs, and subsidizing supplies, uniforms, and meals in public schools. Professionalize the teaching force: Increase salaries and provide ongoing training for public school teachers to reduce absenteeism and boost classroom quality.

Haiti has talented educators — but many are underpaid, untrained, or forced to work multiple jobs. Alternative and emergency education models: In gang-controlled areas where in-person school isn’t feasible, low-tech alternatives like radio instruction, mobile schools, and tablet-based learning can ensure children don’t fall behind. Additionally Haiti’s health sector suffers from extreme fragmentation. While some urban centers host modern hospitals (like in Mirebalais), most rural and poor urban areas lack even basic care. The overreliance on NGOs has created a two-tiered system that isn’t sustainable.What needs to happen is Haiti needs to Decentralize healthcare delivery: Prioritize funding for rural clinics, mobile health teams, and community health workers who can deliver care in insecure areas where hospitals are closed.Invest in maternal and child health: Targeted investments in prenatal care, birthing centers, midwifery programs, and vaccination outreach are essential to reducing Haiti’s sky-high maternal and child mortality rates.Strengthen supply chains: Essential medicine stockouts — including for HIV, malaria, and hypertension — remain a huge issue. Haiti needs resilient, locally controlled logistics and inventory systems, not just dependence on foreign warehouses.Health worker training and retention: Doctors and nurses leave the public sector for better NGO pay. Creating stable, well-funded public jobs can rebuild trust in government facilities and ensure continuity of care.

Overall Haiti does face many policy gaps but there is still hope. If we all put a little money and energy towards Haiti and help Haiti out we will save thousands of lives.