Haiti strengthens rabies response with donation of 10,000 vaccine doses from Brazil

Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 24 July 2026 (PAHO) - Haiti's Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) has received a donation of 10,000 human rabies vaccine doses from the Government of Brazil, delivered through the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to help strengthen the country's response to a disease that remains a public health threat.

The vaccines were handed over on 22 July at the warehouse of PROMESS, Haiti's Essential Medicines Programme, which is managed by PAHO, through a joint effort involving PAHO's Pan American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health (PANAFTOSA), the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Food Programme (WFP), which provided logistical support to airlift the vaccines to Port-au-Prince.

The ceremony was attended by Haiti's Minister of Health, Dr Bertrand Sinal; PAHO Representative in Haiti, Dr Oscar M. Barreneche; Brazil's Ambassador to Haiti, Luís Fernando De Carvalho; and CDC Haiti Director, Dr Michael Melchior.

The donation comes as Haiti continues to report cases of exposure to animals suspected of having rabies. Between epidemiological weeks 1 and 24 of 2026, the country recorded 1,481 incidents involving suspected rabid animals and three associated deaths, primarily in the Centre and Ouest departments.

Rabies is a preventable disease if treatment is provided promptly after exposure. Once symptoms appear, however, it is almost always fatal. Ensuring timely access to rabies vaccines is therefore critical to saving lives.

Thanks to Brazil's contribution, health authorities will be able to strengthen national vaccine stocks and expand access to post-exposure treatment, particularly in high-risk areas.

The donation is part of broader efforts by the MSPP, with support from PAHO, Brazil, the United States and other partners, to strengthen rabies prevention and control in Haiti and improve access to essential health supplies for the population.