The goal of Supporting Equal Sexual and Reproductive Health (SESRH or PASSREL) is to improve the enjoyment of the right to health, particularly sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for 55,346 citizens (40,755 adolescents/women and 14,591 adolescents/men) in the municipality of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti.
Launched in April 2021 PASSREL is funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by the Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie, CAM and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC).
Project Goals
- Improve women and adolescent girls’ access to quality health care
- Improve health care services provided for adolescent girls, women, and marginalized communities by giving more control over their sexual sights and reproductive health
- Improve services for victims of sexual violence, and work towards the elimination of sexual and gender-based violence.
- Work with local organizations to improve the accountability of Haitian institutions, both health and governmental, and to increase the effectiveness of grassroots community organizations and professional associations such as the Foundation for Reproductive Health and Family Education (FOSREF), the Association of Haitian Nurse Midwives (AISFH), and the Haitian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (SHOG)
Total Project Budget
6.5 million CAD
Highlights 2024
“What the world needs to know… is that midwives in Haiti are the silent pillars of a health system in crisis.” – Jeffthanie Maturin, ASFH.
Haiti remains mired in instability, with no elected government and deep insecurity, particularly in Port-au-Prince. In La Croix-des-Bouquets, only 2 of 7 health institutions could function consistently. Yet, the PASSREL team persisted. Through constant reassessment and adaptation, they overcame immense challenges to deliver nearly all Year 4 activities—proof of the resilience and leadership of midwives in even the harshest conditions.
Training on data collection for epidemiological surveillance officers in health institutions (August 2024).
Respectful Maternity Care training for support staff in targeted health institutions (July 2024).
Regional Technical Meeting: Held in Mexico City with UNFPA, Venezuelan Ministry of Health, and Indigenous Peoples Directorate.
Participation of a Canadian midwife (Emmanuelle Hébert) in the Congress of the International Mukwege Chair at the University of Montreal, including a presentation on CAM’s involvement in PASREL through the delivery of a series of trainings on respectful maternity care for midwives and health care professionals. (December 2024).
Strategic planning workshops throughout 2024 within ASFH, leading to the development of the association’s new roadmap for 2024–2027.
