Haiti's infant and maternal mortality rates remain very high compared to other countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Of every 1,000 births in the past five years, 59 died before their first birthday and 32 died within the first month of life. According to the 2016-2017 Mortality, Morbidity, and Services Utilization Survey (EMMUS-VI), nearly 1 in 12 children dies before reaching age 5 (81 deaths per 1,000 births).
The biggest challenge is reducing infant mortality and the number of children who die within the first month of life.
Serious disparities remain between urban and rural service delivery, with access to basic services remaining very low, especially in rural areas.
An equity analysis conducted by UNICEF shows that the highest number of unvaccinated children is not concentrated in the country's most remote rural areas, but rather in poor areas surrounding the country's five largest cities: 42% of children who have not received Penta3 vaccinations in the past three years live in three municipalities in the capital region (Port-au-Prince, Cité Soleil and Carrefour) and two large towns in the Artibonite region (Gonaïves and Saint-Marc).
There are not enough medical personnel.
