Port-au-Prince, 14 November 2017 --- Thirty humanitarian actors working in the North and North-East health departments participated in a training on the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Sexual and Reproductive Health, and the medical care for rape survivors, from 23 to 27 November 2017, in Cap Haïtien.

Organized by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, in partnership with the Center for Health Development (CDS) and the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), this training aimed at building capacity of health actors in order to improve their efficiency, as well as the level of services offered to the population.

"Building the capacity of health institutions is vital and contributes to efforts to improve the quality of services provided to people affected by disasters," GBV / Gender Coordinator for UNFPA Haiti, Sindie Frédéric, said.

Also participated in this training, along with the heads of health institutions, the departmental coordinators of the Ministry of Women's Status and Women's Rights (MCFDF) and Haitian National Police members from northern and Northeast departments.

The Departmental Coordinator of MCFDF for the Northern Department, Jean Philona, for her part stressed "the importance of this training in the context of the medical care for gender-based violence (GBV) survivors, and people seeking care i emergency situations ".

During the year 2017, some 50,000 people, a little over 10,000 households, were affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria, plunging part of the population of northern and northeastern Haiti in a situation of increased vulnerability.

Previous interventions have enabled thousands of people - women and girls of reproductive age, pregnant women, women and girls exposed to sexual violence and / or rape - to access sexual and reproductive health services. These actions have also made possible the prevention of gender-based violence and the care of GBV survivors in the affected areas.

The current training is part of efforts to fill the gaps that persist, despite encouraging results, in the knowledge of the principles and guidelines of the Minimum Urgency System on Sexual and Reproductive Health, including prevention and response to GBV issues as well as the coordination of mechanisms for effective response in humanitarian crises (acute and chronic).