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General Map

General map of Haiti

Medical Summary

The health risk information presented here is summarized from Shoreland Travax®, a decision-support tool used by health care providers to perform a detailed health risk analysis based on specific locations, individual travel styles, and traveler risk behaviors. Travax provides practitioners current, independently researched malaria risk and prevention recommendations in a map-based format that goes beyond the annual WHO and US CDC statements included here. Not included here are current reports from Travax of disease outbreaks or environmental events that may pose elevated risks to travelers’ health and safety. The Providers section of this site offers a directory of health care providers who utilize Shoreland Travax for travel health counseling. Learn more about the detailed reports and maps available from these practitioners (includes links to samples).

General Information

Haiti is a developing nation classified as low income. Located in the Caribbean Sea (west of Dominican Republic), the climate is classified as humid equatorial (long dry season).

Vaccinations

Yellow Fever

See also: Library article for Yellow Fever

Although yellow fever does not occur in Haiti, an official yellow fever vaccination certificate may be required depending on your itinerary.

  • Requirement: A certificate proving yellow fever vaccination is required for travelers aged ≥ 1 year coming from countries with risk of YF transmission. This does not apply to airport transit stops (no exit through immigration checkpoint) in risk countries.

Other Vaccines

Depending on your itinerary, your personal risk factors, and the length of your visit, your health care provider may offer you vaccination against cholera, COVID-19, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, rabies, or typhoid fever. Routine immunizations, such as those that prevent tetanus/diphtheria or "childhood" diseases, should be reviewed and updated as needed.

Malaria

See also: Library article for Malaria

The following is current information as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

WHO—International Travel and Health (current online update, Country List)

(2021) Malaria risk due exclusively to P. falciparum exists throughout the year in the entire country, but especially in the southern departments such as Grand'Anse, Nippes, and Sud-Est. No chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum has been reported.
  • Recommended prevention: C – Risk of P. falciparum malaria, in combination with reported chloroquine and sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine resistance. Mosquito bite prevention plus atovaquone–proguanil or doxycycline or mefloquine chemoprophylaxis (select according to reported side effects and contraindications) a
    aAlternatively, for travel to rural areas with low risk of malaria infection, mosquito bite prevention can be combined with stand–by emergency treatment (SBET).

WHO Country List footnote: When available, the date of the most recent update or confirmation is indicated in parentheses in the country list. If no date is indicated, the most recent update or confirmation was provided before 2013.

CDC—Health Information for International Travel (current online edition)

Areas with malaria: All (including Port Labadee).
  • Drug resistance3 : None.
  • Malaria species: P. falciparum 99%, P. malariae rare.
  • Recommended chemoprophylaxis: Atovaquone-proguanil, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine, or tafenoquine.4
    3 Refers to P. falciparum malaria unless otherwise noted.
    4 Primaquine and tafenoquine can cause hemolytic anemia in people with G6PD deficiency. Patients must be screened for G6PD deficiency before starting primaquine or tafenoquine. See Tafenoquine Approved for Malaria Prophylaxis and Treatment for more information.

Other Concerns

Travelers' Diarrhea

See also: Library article for Travelers' Diarrhea

High risk exists throughout the country, including in deluxe accommodations. Community sanitation and food safety measures are generally inadequate. Some itineraries (e.g., remote destinations, austere accommodations) and activities (e.g., ecotourism, eating street or local-market food) further increase risk.

Travelers should observe food and beverage precautions, which reduce the likelihood of illness.

Travelers should carry loperamide for self-treatment of diarrhea and, if risk is moderate to high, an antibiotic to add if diarrhea is severe. Consult a knowledgeable health care provider regarding which antibiotic is appropriate for you and most effective for your destination.

Other Food-Borne Illnesses

Precautions to prevent seafood poisoning may be needed.

Insect- and Arthropod-Borne Diseases

Chikungunya, dengue, mayaro virus, West Nile virus, Zika may pose a risk. Personal protective measures are important.

Other Disease and Health Risks

Additional concerns include anthrax disease, helminths, leptospirosis, marine hazards, sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis.

Consular Advice

The material below includes information from the US Department of State (DOS), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCO), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), as well as from additional open-source material. Standard safety precautions that apply to all international travel can be found in the Library article Safety and Security.

Consular Travel Advice

Due to civil unrest and other ongoing security concerns, US (DOS), UK (FCO), Canada (GAC), and Australia (DFAT) advise avoiding all travel to this country.

The security situation is volatile and unpredictable due to armed gang activity, kidnapping, civil unrest, and vigilante killings. Violent protests and civil unrest (including roadblocks and barricades on major highways) occur sporadically, particularly in Port-au-Prince. Availability of basic goods and services (including food, fuel, water, medical care, and financial services) may be limited. Travelers who are in this country despite consular warnings should limit their movements, avoid demonstrations, carry a fully charged communication device, and monitor the situation through local media and embassy communications.

Terrorism Risk

No intrinsic risk of attack by terrorist groups exists, but unforeseen attacks are possible.

Crime

High risk of violent crime (armed robbery, home invasion, sexual assault, carjacking, and murder) and high risk of petty crime exist throughout the country, (especially around the Christmas holidays; during Carnival; at the beginning of the school year), particularly in Port-au-Prince, Pétion-Ville (Ouest Locality), near the border with Dominican Republic, and along routes to and from and in Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

Kidnappings by criminal groups occur throughout the country, especially in Port-au-Prince. Targets may include foreigners (especially Westerners), journalists, nongovernmental organization workers, missionaries, and aid workers.

Scams involving requests to export parcels that contain hidden narcotics have been reported.

Civil Unrest

Protests and demonstrations frequently occur throughout the country, especially in Port-au-Prince and other cities, and have the potential to turn violent without warning. Bystanders are at risk of harm from violence or from the response by authorities. Disruption to transportation, free movement, or the ability to carry out daily activities may occur. 

Water Safety

Passenger boats may be unsafe, including ferries. Decline water transportation in vessels that appear overloaded or lack personal flotation devices or life jackets.

Rent water sports equipment from reputable operators. Scuba dive only with personnel certified by PADI or NAUI, and use equipment only from PADI- or NAUI-certified dive operators.

Transportation Safety

National incidence data on traffic-related injury or death are not available.

Natural Disasters

The hurricane season is from June through November. Floods, mudslides, and landslides may occur.

Seismic and volcanic activity frequently occur.

Consular Information

Selected Embassies or Consulates in Haiti

  • United States: [+509] 2229-8000; ht.usembassy.gov
  • Canada: [+509] 2812-9000; www.haiti.gc.ca
  • United Kingdom: [+509] 2812-9191; www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-port-au-prince
  • Australia: Australia does not have an embassy or consulate in Haiti.

Haiti's Embassies or Consulates in Selected Countries

  • In the U.S.: www.haiti.org
  • In Canada: ambassade-haiti.ca
  • In the U.K.: [+44] 020-3771-1427
  • In Australia: Haiti does not have an embassy or consulate in Australia.

Visa/HIV Testing

HIV testing is not required to obtain a tourist, work, or residence visa.