Amid health crisis at home, Haiti secures first seat on WHO executive board

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti was elected on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the first time in the country’s history, a milestone Health Minister Bertrand Sinal called both a privilege and a responsibility.

The election took place during the 157th session of the WHO Executive Board on May 28 and 29 in Geneva. Out of the WHO’s 194 member states, only 34 serve on the Executive Board at a time. The board is tasked with implementing the decisions of the World Health Assembly and offering strategic direction to the organization.

Sinal said the country would be “a committed voice” in shaping global health policy, emphasizing that the seat represents more than symbolic progress.

Haiti’s term on the Executive Board is expected to run for three years. During that time, Sinal said, the country will work to spotlight issues affecting vulnerable populations across the Global South.

The election comes at a time when Haiti is grappling with mounting public health crises that have overwhelmed its already fragile healthcare infrastructure. 

Several major hospitals have been forced to close, unable to safely operate in areas now controlled by armed gangs. Mounting concern surrounds some displacement camps in Port-au-Prince, where two children showed symptoms of chronic diarrhea on May 12—raising fears of a potential cholera resurgence. In April, four suspected cases had already been rushed to Hôpital La Paix, which was unable to provide sufficient care, prompting emergency transfers to a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) facility in Delmas 33.

Compounding the situation, the suspension of U.S. government funding through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has disrupted access to life-saving HIV treatment. Haiti has long relied on international support to maintain its HIV/AIDS infrastructure, with nearly 80% of related services funded by donors. Thanks to broad access to antiretrovirals (ARVs), Haiti had achieved a national HIV prevalence rate of 2%, among the lowest in the Caribbean. Health experts now warn that progress could backslide without immediate intervention.

At the Geneva conference, Sinal welcomed the WHO’s 2026–2027 budget and emphasized the need for long-term financing for vulnerable nations like Haiti. Member states also adopted a global agreement on pandemic preparedness and pledged to increase financial support for the organization.

“We are committed to building a system that is more resilient, more equitable, and, above all, closer to the real needs of our populations, particularly the most vulnerable,” Sinal said.

“Serving on the WHO Executive Board for the first time is much more than a privilege for us—it is a commitment to actively participate in the major decisions that shape global health,” he said.

The news of Haiti on the Executive Board has been well-received by organizations working in the health sector. Jeunesse Combattante (JECO), an advocacy group working for nutritional health, believes this will be an opportunity for the country to gain more attention in this field and for Haiti-related health issues to be better addressed.  

“We are well aware of the many problems in nutritional health, especially the fact that children continue to die from malnutrition,” Jean Berquinze Augustin, president of JECO, told The Haitian Times. 

“Haiti will be able to benefit from better support and guidance from the international community in the health sector, as the country is among those involved in the decision-making process,” Augustin added. 

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