OFATMA: 58 Years of Resilience and Service at the Heart of Social Protection

The Office of Work Accident, Sickness, and Maternity Insurance (OFATMA) celebrated its 58th anniversary on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at a ceremony held at the Karibe Convention Center in Pétion-Ville. In the presence of Advisor-President Louis Gérald Gilles, several government members, and numerous guests, Director Vickerson Garnier presented a report marked by significant progress and reaffirmed the vision of strengthened, accessible, and future-oriented social security. 58 Years of History and Social Mission Established on August 28, 1967, OFATMA was born from the organic law of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MAST). For 58 years, it has supported Haitian workers by offering them coverage against work accidents, sickness, and maternity. Social security, at the heart of its mission, constitutes a mandatory protection system for both private and public sector employees. OFATMA strives to protect employees against precarity and death that may result from a professional accident, sickness, or maternity. Today, OFATMA stands as an autonomous institution, with its own administrative and financial management, but placed under the supervision of MAST. It contributes, along with other organizations such as EPPLS, BSEIPH, IBESR, or CAS, to building a comprehensive social protection system in Haiti. A Ceremony Marked by Commitments The ceremony held at Karibe brought together numerous personalities, including the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Patrick Pélissier, the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, Georges Wilbert Franck, the Minister for Women's Affairs and Women's Rights, Pedrica Saint Jean, as well as several directors of partner institutions and many OFATMA employees. In his address, Advisor-President Louis Gérald Gilles emphasized the need to strengthen this essential pillar of social justice: “No worker should fall into precarity due to an accident, sickness, or pregnancy. OFATMA is not just an administration; it is a true lever for development for a strong and prosperous Haiti,” he declared, reaffirming the commitment of the Transitional Presidential Council to consolidate achievements in social protection. The president took the opportunity to congratulate and appreciate the work of engineer and agronomist Garnier, who has initiated a series of actions at OFATMA over the past 6 months. He also promised his support for this noble institution to continue serving its policyholders. A Positive Assessment and Ambitious Prospects For his part, OFATMA Director General Vickerson Garnier presented an assessment marked by several advances: Regularization of over 600 employment contracts; Appointment of about a hundred people to strategic positions; Strengthening partnerships with the health network; Training of 40 administrative and financial executives; A 143% increase in the next budget, allowing for the expansion of services to policyholders. Operationally, he reported 18,000 files processed this year, the distribution of nearly 6,000 insurance cards, the strengthening of medical transfer mechanisms abroad, as well as an ongoing digitalization process to modernize services. The Future: Building on a Solid Foundation For Director Garnier, these 58 years are not an end, but “a solid foundation upon which to build the coming decades.” OFATMA aims to modernize, become more autonomous, and make social security a true lever for human and economic development for Haiti. With determination, trust, and commitment, the institution intends to continue its mission in service of the country's workers, remaining faithful to noble missions: resilience, solidarity, and social justice. Furthermore, even though OFATMA offers public health services, it is not presented as a hospital but as an insurance structure offering social protection to workers. And in its broad mission, OFATMA manages the Work Accident, Sickness, and Maternity Insurance programs and the Public Service Agents Self-Insurance Program (PAAAFP). The Editorial Staff