Can't read it? Listen now!
Gang violence in Haiti has paralyzed the pharmaceutical sector, leading to a critical shortage of essential medications, including antiretrovirals for children living with HIV. The ongoing turmoil has resulted in the closure of the country’s main ports and airports, hindering the delivery of vital medical supplies and leaving healthcare providers scrambling to meet the needs of vulnerable populations.
Pierre Hugues Saint-Jean, president of the Haitian Pharmacists Association (APH), revealed that nearly all supply routes have been disrupted due to the violence. Pharmacies, distribution centers, and even the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy have been targeted, with reports of looting, arson, and vandalism.
The scarcity of medications has hit hard in both the capital and provincial cities. Chronic disease management for conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and HIV has become nearly impossible in some areas. Emergency care requiring antibiotics, vaccines, or other life-saving drugs has also been significantly compromised.
Saint-Jean emphasized that the shortages are compounded by skyrocketing prices for the few medications that remain available. The rise in counterfeit pharmaceuticals further exacerbates the risks to public health.
Haiti’s pharmaceutical crisis is exacerbated by state policies that favor the importation of finished pharmaceutical products over domestic production. Saint-Jean noted that while imported drugs face only a 7% tariff, raw materials for local production are taxed at 20%. This imbalance discourages local manufacturers, who currently produce only 25-30% of the country’s pharmaceutical needs, from expanding their operations.
“Encouraging local production could strengthen the sector and reduce dependency on imports,” Saint-Jean argued, highlighting the need for government intervention to prioritize the domestic pharmaceutical industry.
Haiti’s cycle of violence is not only disrupting access to healthcare but also undermining public health infrastructure. With laboratories struggling to source raw materials and many pharmacies forced to close, the country’s ability to respond to its health crisis is diminishing rapidly.
The APH has called for stability and security to ensure the proper functioning of healthcare facilities and to enable the development of new strategies to revive the pharmaceutical sector. Without immediate action, the consequences for Haiti’s most vulnerable populations could be catastrophic.
