PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Gender-based violence (GBV) has reached alarming levels in Haiti as criminal gangs tighten their grip on the Caribbean nation, with more than 6,200 incidents reported between January and July by service providers there.
Rapes accounted for nearly half the cases, with armed groups carrying out 62 percent of them, according to the data gathered by UN aid coordination office, OCHA.
While mostly affecting adult women, “one in seven survivors is a child, a girl under 18,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing reporters in New York on Friday.
More than half of the incidents involved internally displaced people, yet only one in four rape survivors accessed care within the crucial 72-hour window, he added.
Deep-seated stigma
The lack of access reflects long-standing stigma associated with GBV in Haiti, the country’s insecurity, the weak referral systems, and chiefly, the lack of health facilities in the country.
To address this, UN agencies and their humanitarian partners have assisted nearly 20,000 people, OCHA reported in an update on Friday. This includes medical care, psychological support, legal aid, dignity kits, emergency shelter, and case management.
Issues persist as services are predominantly concentrated in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and in the Artibonite Department, whereas other regions, including Centre and the Grand Sud, systematically receive less support.
“Out of the $19 million required for prevention and response to gender-based violence in Haiti, we’ve only received 18 percent,” said Dujarric.
WHO adds breakthrough cancer and diabetes medicines to essential list
Marking an important step in improving equitable access to life-saving health products worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its model lists of essential medicines to include new treatments for cancer, diabetes and obesity.
The revised lists, released Friday, guide procurement and coverage decisions in more than 150 countries.
They now include 523 medicines for adults and 374 for children, following the addition of 20 new adult treatments – 15 for youngsters. Other additions cover cystic fibrosis, psoriasis, haemophilia and blood disorders.
“The new editions of essential medicines lists mark a significant step toward expanding access to new medicines with proven clinical benefits and with high potential for global public health impact,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO assistant director-general for Health Systems, Access and Data.
Cancer, a global priority
Cancer remains a global priority and is still responsible for nearly ten million deaths a year. WHO has added immune checkpoint inhibitors – powerful therapies that help the immune system target cancer cells, including pembrolizumab, atezolizumab and cemiplimab, for certain metastatic cancers, citing evidence they can extend survival.
Diabetes and obesity, affecting more than 800 million and one billion people worldwide, respectively, are now recognized as urgent global threats.
To address them, WHO added a group of medicines to help not only lower blood sugar but also support patients with type 2 diabetes.
The UN health agency stressed that high prices remain a barrier and urged countries to prioritize patients most in need, promote generic competition and integrate access into primary care.
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