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Photos from our “Chocolatada” Christmas Party in Peru

January 6, 2012 in Events, General, Helping Children, Mission, Peru, South America by Jonathan White | Comments closed

 

On the 17th of December, our clinic staff in Peru, celebrated with an early Christmas party with some of the children and former patients of our clinic.  Thanks to the the contribution of friends and family, the party was held with gifts, food, and a musical clown show for the children.

This year the party was held at one of the local municipality community centers, and we were able to provide a total of 110 gifts for the children. 90 of these gifts were handed out to the children at the party and the remaining 20 were given at a seperate gathering for children who are patients of ours with TB (Tuberculosis) and Malnourishment in another special meeting for them.

Thank you to David Franco, who also collaborated with us, brought gifts and also a basket of food,which draw in the audience.

A great time was had by all!

Thank You For An Amazing Year!

January 4, 2012 in Africa, Armenia, Asia, Disaster Relief, Donate, Europe, General, Helping Children, India, Japan, Kenya, Mission, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda, Whole Health by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Photo: Dr. Martina C. Fuchs, RMF Founder/CEO, making new friends at the Lwala, Kenya Community Hospital, October 1, 2011

We are so grateful to all our friends, supporters and teams around the world and wish everyone a fantastic 2012!

Having wrapped up another successful  we want to pause and say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who supported our work in 2011.  You have helped us achieve so much, and we give our deep thanks to everyone for your generosity and support!

In 2011 we..

  • In Japan, post-earthquake and tsunami, RMF reached over 33,000 people in Ishinomaki City with supplies, debris/sludge cleanup, and community center support.
  • In India, in RMF’s Malnutrition Eradication Program, our field staff of 75 Community Nutrition Educators diagnosed and treated 85,016 cases of Acute Malnutrition in more than 600 villages since our program started in 2010.
  • In Uganda, we provided healthcare, education and vocational training support to 55,000 refugees at the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement.
  • In South Sudan, 40 Nurses and Midwives at the RMF sponsored first-ever accredited Nursing and Midwifery College in Juba, are beginning their 2nd year of training.
  • In Pakistan, RMF treated more than 25,000 flood victims at our free medical camps, 32,000 patients at our clinic in Gulbella and provided healthcare in Talhatta for more than 150,000.
  • In Haiti, our free clinic at Hôpital Lambert Santé provided public access to 24-hour emergency and general healthcare to a community that is home to more than 100,000 displaced persons.
  • In Kenya, we upgraded the only hospital for 1,000,000 people in Lodwar, Turkana, starting with the pediatric ward and also continued to provide medical support, food and water to thousands through mobile and stationary clinics in the poorest and most drought ravaged regions in Kenya.
  • Closer to home, in South Los Angeles, RMF provided 70 children with new backpacks filled with school supplies and personal products, and just threw a Holiday Party for these children on December 17th.

From all of us at RMF: Have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2012!

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Photos from our Holiday Party for kids in South Los Angeles

December 20, 2011 in Helping Children, In the news, Los Angeles, North America, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Real Medicine Foundation and the Florence Western Medical Clinic in South Los Angeles will be hosted its 4th Annual Children’s Holiday Party on December 17, 2011. Each year, RMF provides toys, sports equipment, books and grocery cards for holiday dinners to meet the needs of these often-overlooked families.

Over 60 bags of gifts were given away at this Saturday’s Holiday Party for kids in South Los Angeles!-To read more about our programs at the Florence Western Medical Clinic, click here.

Photos from our event below:

 

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India: Sonu, one of our greatest success stories

November 29, 2011 in Helping Children, India, Initiatives, Mission by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Sonu’s Story Continued

By Michael Matheke-Fischer, Director of Programs, RMF India

Sunday, November 20, 2011 was the first time I met Sonu. To me, he was a picture on a PowerPoint presentation, a picture that continues to shock me today. Sonu came into our program 15 months ago while I was in Delhi working on streamlining our administrative procedures and, more importantly, trying to raise more funds to help children like him. Fundraising and administrative work, while just as vital as the field work we engage in, is an ever present necessity shared by our small, but dedicated team.

Caitlin McQuilling told me about a case that had shocked even her. While sitting in Delhi, it was hard to hear the emotion in her voice. Days were spent monitoring his progress, coordinating with doctors, and attempting to diagnose exactly what was causing his dramatic wasting. All of this was terribly frustrating while sitting in meetings and pouring over budgets.

The team watched Sonu finally begin to improve, his weight gaining dramatically over three months until he was a healthy, even hefty, child.

Stories of Sonu floated around our house in Jhabua, and his example served as an inspiration to all of us to work harder, reach more children, and find out what we are capable of.

On Sunday, I met a child who could not possibly be the picture I had seen and shown so many times. There was no way, simply none, that such a child could have ever been as wasted and close to death as the picture I was so familiar with. Now back in the field, Sonu has turned in my mind from a stark example of the ravages of malnutrition to a child with a future, a face with expressions, and an energy that I will feed off of for the months to come. His sisters have taken to calling him “motapet” which in Hindi roughly means fat belly.

Even though budgets, PowerPoint’s, reports, and fundraising are still a large part of my job, at least now I have yet another example of why I do it!

For more information about RMF’s Malnutrition Eradication Program in India, click here

We can use any financial help you are able to provide on this project to continue our Education,Treatment and Outreach and help toward our goal of Malnutrition Eradication in this region of India.

To contribute to this initiative, please click Donate button or visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org

 

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Japan Relief Update: Photos and Field Report through September

October 17, 2011 in General, Helping Children, Initiatives, Japan, Partners, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities by Jonathan White | Comments closed

by Jonathan White and RMF Partner Fumiko Tanaka at Japanese Emergency NGO

Geographic Locations

Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture

Taking Care of Local Students during Summer Vacation

Beneficiaries

Approximately 1,690 individuals, employees of 7 local companies, 11 households and the residents of 11 communities of Ishinomaki were reached by JEN’s activities during this period.

Activities

1) Volunteer Dispatch

  • Supported by 2,890 volunteers, JEN has completed removing rubble and sludge from a total of 196 buildings in Ishinomaki City. JEN dispatched volunteers to clean places such as houses, an office and a factory.

 

  • JEN was requested to send volunteers to help hold a sports event at Oshika Junior High-School. The tasks involved weed removal, setup for the event, food tray service and participation in the event.

 

  • Starting of an Aqua-Farming project in the Sameura area of the Oshika Peninsula, 108 additional JEN volunteers were dispatched to help fishermen on the port.

 

2) Psychosocial Care through Community Space

JEN has been providing community spaces where evacuees can gather for activities and share their experiences as psycho-social care. There are currently 3 places where activities have begun as pilot projects in the existing communities, and 8 at transitional shelter compounds.

<Nakayashiki Space>

 

  • Homework support for children by university students from Tokyo has been ongoing throughout the reporting period. In addition to homework support, classes for Japanese calligraphy and balloon art were held for the children. This space held between 10 and 20 students every day during the summer vacation.

 

  • JEN provided soup kitchen and massage services for the local people including residents of temporary housing. On September 13th, nearly 50 meals were provided and relaxation services were offered to 10 people.

 

  • Some new services including health checkup and a handicraft class began during the reporting period. The handicraft classes have been popular especially among housewives.

 

  • JEN proceeded with the preparation for the first workshop on September 17th.

 

  • JEN contributed an article to a monthly social educational magazine on its community support project in Nakayashiki that will be published on September 15th.

All photos JEN Copyright

 

<Kazuma Space>

  • The Kazuma festival was held on August 20th and attracted a large number of local residents. 4 food stalls were opened and all their food was sold out. In addition, a famous singer gave a performance to encourage the residents.

 

  • The meetings regarding the construction of a community café in Kazuma Space were continuously arranged with donors and local self-governing bodies. A “jichin-sai”, a Shinto ceremony to purify the building site and offer prayers, was also held.

 

<Koganehama Space>

  • The first workshop at the Koganehama Space and neighboring areas was held on September 4th. The workshop focused on the things to do right now and the long-term reconstruction plans.

 

  • JEN provided massage service for the local residents. Acupuncture practitioners were invited this time and their service was quite popular among the residents. Moreover, new programs such as cooking or handcraft class are being considered.

 

<Transitional Shelters>

As part of the community space projects, the following events were held in the temporary housing areas: tea party, massage service and legal counseling. Some tea parties called ‘Ochakkonomi’ in local dialect were held inviting local elderly mothers to chat over the tea for socializing purposes.

Economic Recovery Assistance

Rubble Clearance through Assisting Local Waste Management Contractors

JEN lent 4-ton garbage cars to Katsumata Transport, the Watanabe Cleaning Service Company and the Suzukyu Recycle Shop. A 4-ton damp car will be handed over to the Ishinomaki Waste Disposal Center.

Assistance of Small to Mid-size Local Businesses

JEN has decided to conduct assistance for building temporary shopping streets in Ayukawahama. The meeting on the contents of the project and how the project will develop in the future was held between JEN and the commerce and industry association in the area on August 23rd. To acquire cooperation from the public administration, the meeting with Mr. Okada, a head of the Oshika Branch of the Ishinomaki City Council, was also arranged. JEN confirmed the project site and gained the agreement on the implementation of the project from Mr. Okada. The next steps for the project will be: acquirement of permission in writing on the use of the town-owned land, selection of contractors, cost estimates on prefabricated houses, order for construction work and arrangement of contract documents and minutes.

Material Distribution

JEN distributed vegetables to 80 households (260 people) in the Higashihama area of Oshika Peninsula. 280 loaves of bread were also distributed to the area from a bread factory in Ayukawahama.

For more information about our Japan Relief Efforts click here

If you are interesting in donating to the earthquake/tsunami relief efforts with our partner JEN in Japan, click on Donate below.

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Guest Blog: Cricket Camp Madhya Pradesh, India May-June 2011

September 29, 2011 in Helping Children, India by Sarah Stern | Comments closed

By Nyamat Bindra, Director, Education, Real Medicine Foundation, India

How to make the children not get bored in the summer? How can I make them enjoy staying at school? What can I make them do that is new, exciting, cost effective and something that the children would learn new skills from? What could it be …. Then it struck me! The one thing that Indians love…. Cricket!

I decided to organize a camp for the boys at school and art class for the girls!

Our school boys would play cricket the minute they got a chance, so I got in touch with a cricket coach I met earlier and asked if he could help me.  Mr Ajij Sheikh said that they were conducting a month long camp at the nearby college ground, free of charge, everyday 8am to 10am and 4pm to 6pm for interested cricket enthusiasts! He asked me if we would like to send some of our students. I told him that I could get 10 boys. When I made the announcement to the boys at school, 20, class 6th to 9th graders enrolled! I knew I had struck the right chord with them!

Every day, for the following month, the boys would go for a run in the morning and train in the afternoon, under a team of 5 coaches. They would get free breakfast, which consisted of an egg and a glass of milk in the morning and a banana in the afternoon. All 20, braced themselves for a new challenge!

Caitlin asked them on day 2, so `will you be able to keep up and be ready to be on the ground at 8 am? Jointly, they replied `Yes!’ `We don’t want to be punished by Mr. Shiekh and take extra rounds of the field’.

Our 20 players of TEAM BHIL, needed track pants, shoes, caps, and cricket gear. Caitlin’s father and our volunteer Carolina graciously donated money for that.

The boys learnt and practiced how to be fit, how to increase their stamina through regular runs, stretches and eat the right diet.

In the cricket camp the boys learnt the techniques behind batting, bowling and fielding and other nuances behind playing the game the right way such as pitching a leather ball! 3 of our boys were even selected for a tournament in Dahod and represented team Jhabua.

They learnt a new skill, met new people, made friends with other students from different schools and learnt true sportsmanship spirit.

My goal was achieved!

To keep the girls from class 6th to 9th, I organized stitching, needlework, working with beads and art class, which they enjoyed thoroughly under the guidance of our wardens Nirmala and Pushpa.

For more information about RMF’s Malnutrition Eradication Program in India, click here

We can use any financial help you are able to provide on this project to continue our Education,Treatment and Outreach and help toward our goal of Malnutrition Eradication in this region of India.

To contribute to this initiative, please click Donate button or visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org

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Real Medicine Foundation & Florence Western Medical Center Los Angeles Community Outreach

August 23, 2011 in Donate, Events, General, Helping Children, Los Angeles, North America, Sarah Stern, Thank You, Voices from the Field by Sarah Stern | Comments closed

“Back to School in South L.A.”

By Sarah Stern

This past weekend, Real Medicine Foundation & the Florence Western Medical Center hosted their first “Back to School” Event, providing more than 60 children and families with brand new backpacks filled with school supplies.

Recognizing the needs of this community has not been the challenge; the challenge has been how to encourage the community to show up for the services available to them. Free health and fitness programs for adults and children are offered at the center by Real Medicine, yet often we find a low attendance due to lack of access to information, transportation and health issues. While we have worked diligently to encourage the patients with incentives to attend these programs, at times it can be frustrating. Many charities in Los Angeles share this dilemma.

So the question becomes how can we bring about awareness of our programming in an area where the digital age has fallen behind? Phone numbers on sign-up sheets are often disconnected the following month. Most patients do not have home computers, making emails a futile effort. How can we meet the needs of the community and bring forth something that they will show up for, while giving them access to information about the center’s services and our programming?

The thought came to me that a “Back to School” event just might be the perfect solution. Given that our annual children’s holiday party has grown steadily these past few years, I wondered if we were to add an additional annual event, one that would prepare the children for the upcoming school year with a sturdy, brand new backpack if we would not have a good response from the community.  A backpack filled with school supplies that once upon a time were provided by the school systems. A backpack that would free the parents from the financial stress associated with back to school (and as most families have several children these stressors can be extremely hardening on the family as a whole); a backpack that would produce excitement in the child about returning to school.

Dr. Kevin Thomas and I discussed the idea and we proceeded to move forward.  Now the real challenges would begin! I contacted company after company to see about the possibility of donated or discounted backpacks for the event. Time and time again I received the same automated response that – “due to the overwhelming number of requests each year, unfortunately at this time they would be unable to help us”. I then turned to the internet and in search of ideas for discounted backpacks. Sure, I could go to downtown LA and get backpacks for cheap, but I was determined to give the children something they could be proud of, something that would last. Every parent knows that the backpack is just about the most important accessory in a child’s life (other than tennis shoes, which will be next year’s event goal!).

I presented my woes to Dr. Martina Fuchs, CEO and founder of Real Medicine who offered to delegate $1,000 from a recent event’s proceeds, and I asked that the remaining funds raised from my 2011 “Athletes for Real Medicine” LA Marathon 5k also be applied toward the budget. I searched high and low and finally found the source of our backpacks; Wal-Mart. They not only offered fabulous backpacks that fit the budget, but had the best pricing on the school supplies we needed to fill them!

In a collaborated effort, in the final week we were able to fill the backpacks and secure even more, as we had a waitlist of 21 children looking to attend the event on top of the 60 already confirmed.

Mary Miller returned to Northrop Grumman countless times for items such as pens, reusable water bottles and science books.  Florence Western contacted their partners and the Office of Councilman Bernard Parks for support; I reached out to friends and family with pleas on Facebook & a Causes “birthday wish”. The response from all was overwhelming and as the supplies began to trickle in, I found myself quite emotional. Monday morning I had 56 backpacks and a long list of supplies needed, we had some but where short on what we needed to complete each backpack. By Monday afternoon I had personally raised enough funds to purchase cases of notebooks, glue sticks, pencil boxes, colored pencils and 4 additional backpacks. When I returned home, I found that a friend had placed 5 cases of water from Costco inside my gate, which brought me to tears.

Tuesday morning, Mara Leng, the office manager from Florence Western Medical Center, called to say that they had secured 30 additional backpacks and several boxes of supplies from their Health Net representative, which allowed me to phone the remaining families on the waitlist and confirm their children for the event. One mother expressed tears of joy that her son would be able to attend and receive a backpack, which was a stark reminder of just how great the need for this type of event was and an affirmation of why I love my job so much. Wednesday, Real Medicine Team Armenia member Nairy Ghazourian introduced us to Amy Sheyer and Diane Baxter, Health Net executives who offered to provide all of the food for the event, which was a huge weight off our shoulders!  Chip Matthews from FWMC then informed me that several LAPD cadets would be available to assist with the event (also very welcomed news!!).  Thursday morning Nichole Stephenson a RMF volunteer and I began filling the 80 pencil boxes (I couldn’t help but be reminded of the “I Love Lucy” episode where Lucy and Ethel were on the factory line at the chocolate factory) we figured out what we were short and it was one last trip to Wal-Mart, 60lbs of red apples from Costco c/o Health Net to supplement the granola bars they were providing, and my all time favorite, the 99cent store for 60 water bottles. My apologies to the cashiers and to anyone that found themselves in line behind me this past week!  Friday morning the city of LA dropped off 10 tables and 75 chairs (this is a free service for community events, a huge thank you to the office of Bernard Parks!) We completed the backpacks, did a walk through, called volunteers and printed flyers about the Saturday children’s outreach program and sign-up sheets. I didn’t know if I would ever sleep again..

Showtime:

At 8:30am on Saturday, setup began. A host of RMF volunteers along with Dr. Kevin Thomas’s sister and niece began the process of preparing the stage – the large parking lot area in the back of the clinic. Everyone pitched in and to our delight we were completely prepared to meet the 60+ children that were due to arrive at 10am. Once the children were checked in, they began working on banners for the clinic and for the upcoming “Mobility Event” the following weekend. The children were then led in a large group exercise routine by our very own Roz Baker, I peeked around the corner and a huge smile crossed my face as I watched these children in a large circle working together.

At this point, Councilman Bernard Parks, former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department and now representing the 8th District in South Los Angeles, made an appearance, much to everyone’s excitement. His tireless efforts and compassion towards the families of South Los Angeles have made him a pillar within the community. Snacks and much needed hydration were handed out to the children followed by the grand finale: Backpacks!! We lined up the little ones first, managed to avoid any mob scenes and successfully handed out all of the backpacks (along with shirts and other goodies that Mary Miller had received last minute) and the children proceeded to personalize their brand new backpack with a rainbow of fabric pens.

Parents expressed their gratitude and filled the Saturday Children’s Program sign-up sheet (much to my delight!). The children’s thanks came with hugs as we watched them head out the gate with their backpacks in tow.

We all sat back and relished in the day’s events, there had been not a single glitch and only one scraped knee (which Dr. Kevin Thomas saw to personally). Cadets and volunteers enjoyed much deserved sandwiches and discussed the marvels of the day. We had all come together for a common cause, and the day could not have been more perfect. I thank all of those who came out to support, who donated funds, supplies and most of all helped create our First Annual Back to School Event which will now be a part of our services for years to come.

To contribute to this initiative, please click Donate button or visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org/donors.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or become a fundraiser for us at Causes.com

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Thank you to Andrew Weiss Gallery for Fundraising Event!

June 28, 2011 in Events, General, Helping Children, Los Angeles, North America, Partners, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities by Jonathan White | Comments closed

On behalf of all of us at Real Medicine Foundation, we would like thank everyone involved for the wonderful fundraising event at the Andrew Weiss Gallery on Sunday!

Your support, generosity and contributions will make a difference in the lives of countless children and their families we serve around the world.

Photos of the event below:

Voices from the field: We shall name her Anandini, Anandini is Joy!

April 20, 2011 in Helping Children, India, Naiara Tejados, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, Voices from the Field by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Naiara with Anandini

By Naira Tejados

I still rememer vividly those days, long ago in terms of time, but mentally like it was yesterday.

After two days in shock, unable to sleep or eat after finding Gila (5 year old girl with tuberculosis meningitis and hydrocephalus) in her home on January 27th, I recieved a call from Caitlin informing me that the poor little girl had died despite all the efforts of the doctors in Ahmedabad.  Honestly I must admit that I felt a slight relief, as I believe if she had survived her quality of life would not have been what a little girl who had gone through so many traumas so young deserved.  The events around Gila’s death were reported in this blog by Caitlin McQuilling here.

Anandini's grandfather

It was obvious that someone in the family must have transmitted the deadly tuberculosis bacterium to Gila. So, after questioning and observing, it wasn’t difficult to identify the most critical patient in the family: the grandfather, the patriarch of the home, who had spent a long period bedridden, the last few days with fever and bleeding when spitting. My biggest fear was of the possible transmission of bacteria to the other 5 children in the home.

After two days immersed in the hospital we came to know that, while the grandfather clearly was suffering from tuberculosis, nearly all family members were anemic. With the help of our star native worker, Sumitra, I asked what their diet consisted of. It took me a few words to know that the conditions in which the family lived were deplorable: they had some land with dhal, a very typical lentil in India, had a few crops with peas and corn from which they made flour to cook roti, cakes of bread. They had nothing else. It was a great pleasure to provide the family food and other everyday items that they could not acquire. It was obvious that the family had spent all their savings in the treatment of Gila and was now ruined…

The second day, two hours after we dropped the family off at home, already very late at night, I got a call from Sumitra saying that Gila’s mother, who was in its final stages of pregnancy, had begun to feel the pains of childbirth. A new life was on the way! The next morning, impatient, I went to the hospital to see the new baby, when to my surprise, I learned that Dhana had not yet given birth. A nurse warned us that Dhana was very anemia Dhana and her life was in danger. I could not believe it! I thought again and again how unfair life was being with this family. Of course this hospital had no blood bank. Suddenly, a lot of ideas my mind was: what was the blood group of Dhana? Could I donate my blood? I begged the staff to analyze my blood type and they told me that it was not possible at the hospital. We had no choice but to go for help to a private hospital run by Catholics located in the same town, the same hospital that just 2 weeks before had stolen Gila’s life by not providing her the necessary drugs because of the family’s inability to pay. Maybe we could beg this hospital in this case to save the life of her mother and her brother/sister. We asked the midwife permission to take her to the other hospital, where we thought everything would be better under their supervision, but the midwife and the nurses told us that the baby would be born in the vehicle if we did. There was no time for anything, only wait.

Suddenly, from the hubbub of the hospital, we heard the cry of a newborn baby. It couldn’t be anyone else other than Gila’s new sibling. Taking advantage of a nurse on her way out of the delivery room, I rushed over to ask if the one crying was the one we were expecting. She nodded and let us know that everything had gone well, both the mother and daughter were fine, and there was no need for a blood transfusion to the mother. It was a girl! I could not contain my tears of joy. It was inevitable to think about reincarnation, so present in the lives of these people. Is that what you call it?


Anandini

To my surprise and joy, the next day, I learned that the Gila’s parents had asked us, the Real Medicine Foundation staff, to choose a name for the girl. What an honor! Thus, we chose the name Anandini for her, which means “joyful.” Anandini never cries. It was without a doubt, the best gift I received in India.

About a week after the birth, Caitlin, Jaimie and I went to the home for a visit. The family welcomed us with open arms. Concerned about their economic condition and their future, we asked how much their debt from Gila’s treatment totaled. They reported that to treat Gila they had borrowed € 1,000 to be returned with a 25% interest from a local lender, an insignificant amount in Western society, but which converts a family like this into a debtor for many years, perhaps also to the next generation.

I received a lot of money after writing a personal email the night Gila died to all my family and friends: It was an email asking them, each within their desires and possibilities, to donate money to use with the various groups I work with in India. Therefore, I immediately thought that I would love to help this family to get rid of this horrible debt. Thanks to the generosity of Jaimie, who was also present, and because she has raised a lot of money of her own (http://www.realmedicineblog.com/2011/03/18/voices-from-the-field- one-birthday-wish-granting-wishes-for-many-by-Jaimie-shaff) we decided that we would pay equally between the two of us. A few days later we returned to the home with the money, allowing the family to be free of at least of this burden. We did this knowing that this was something outside of our organization, because the organization focuses on providing medical resources but not providing cash. We saw the first smile yet on Dhana’s face. Many thanks to everyone who made this possible!

Anandini's father, Chhatra

We could not resist asking Anandini’s parents what work they would do from now on. Their response was unanimous: when she was a few weeks older the family would migrate along with other farmers having to abandon their homes, greatly increasing risk of several diseases in appalling conditions to which they have to submit, and leaving the older children in the care of grandparents. This response left us all broken hearted. Already familiar with the good work and infinite human quality of this family, Caitlin and Jaimie did not hesitate to offer a job to Anandini’s father, Chhatra, as a Community Nutrition Educator (CNE) with our organization. Chhatra, now works joyfully in his own village and neighboring ones, going from house to house, making sure that other children do not become victims of malnutrition and other medical conditions that are so easily preventable but that steal the lives of many in these villages.

For more information about RMF’s Malnutrition Eradication Program in India, click here and for more on our HIV/AIDS click here.

We can use any financial help you are able to provide on this project to continue our Education, Treatment and Outreach and help towards our goal of Malnutrition Eradication in this region of India.

To contribute to this initiative, please click Donate button or visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.


Haiti Health Cluster Bulletin Update

April 18, 2011 in Disaster Relief, Haiti, Helping Children, Providing Medical Support by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Haiti Health Cluster Bulletin:

Cholera and Post-Earthquake Response in Haiti: April 15th, 2011

The following report was compiled by the The Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population (MSPP) and PAHO, the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Americas,coordinate the Health Cluster. MSPP Cluster Contacts: Dr. Claude Surena; Dr. Jean Hugues Henrys; PAHO/WHO Contacts: Dr. Juan Carlos Gustavo Alonso and Dr. Josep Vargas.

Highlights

  • The number of cholera cases nationwide continues to decrease. The number of cases in Northeast, Centre, Port-au-Prince, North, Northwest, Artibonite, West (except Leogane-Gressier), South, Grande Anse and Southeast departments are stable or decreasing. However, cases in Nippes and West (Leogane-Gressier) are increasing (although only slightly in the West).
  • The continued decrease of cholera cases together with the phasing out of health actors from cholera treatment facilities has raised concerns about the capacity to cope with a potential increase in cases during the upcoming rainy season. The impact on the health sector is important given that the management of the cholera outbreak has been highly dependent on the support of foreign health organizations. A gap analysis is underway to identify potential risk areas and to sensitize donors to maintain their support to the cholera response.
  • An independent evaluation mission has arrived in Haiti to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the coordinated national and international response to cholera, both in terms of immediate and medium term impact. The results will assist the MSPP and its international and national partners to draw lessons from successes and shortcomings, and improve the joint response in case of a possible recurrence of the epidemic especially due to the upcoming rainy season.

Situation Overview

  • 4 April 2011, the cumulative number of reported cholera cases was 274,418, including 4,787 deaths. The observed cumulative incidence of cholera cases since the beginning of the outbreak was of 26.2 per 1,000 inhabitants, ranging from 4.9 per 1,000 in the Department of South-East to 40.3 per 1,000 in the Department of Artibonite.
  • Overall, the number of medical staff from health partners has been reduced in most CTCs and CTUs. Medical staff has been trained and is currently employed in the CTUs established in health centers. NGOs are mostly phasing out due to the decrease in cholera cases or due to the lack of funding. However, health partners continue to provide support to maintain regular training and refreshment courses for local medical staff, and maintain a surveillance system to monitor the evolution and assessment of the potential need to reactivate their response.
  • Apart from the essential work of the NGOs, it is important to mention the role of the Cuban Medical Brigade (CMB) as well. The CMB treated a high percentage of cholera and diarrhea cases during the epidemics through a network of CTCs and CTUs. They built up belts of community workers around each CTC and CTU, thus ensuring prevention and health promotion activities that accompanied the efforts to save lives at the treatment centers. The CMB also deployed active research brigades, who go to the difficult to reach sub-communes to investigate and treat cholera cases, thereby diminishing the “silent zones”.
  • The criteria for closing down cholera facilities and for phasing out NGOs from cholera facilities are well established, and there is an effort to maintain sufficient supplies and medical materials at the cholera centers. Nevertheless, lack of sufficient supervision and irregular payment of salaries to local health staff represent major risks that can jeopardize the response capacity at local and departmental level in case of sudden increase in the number of cholera cases, or any other major outbreak.
  • The WASH sector remains of paramount importance. The chlorination of water systems and water trucks delivering water to the metropolitan areas has been a huge progress, despite the challenges that this method still faces. Attention needs to be paid to the private companies and the alternative treatment systems being used so as not to have resurgence within the urban areas. In rural areas, the treatment of water remains a difficult challenge

Wash (Environmental Health)

PAHO/WHO continues to support the MSPP in identifying needs and priorities for the improvement of sanitary conditions of the health centers in several departments through water sanitation networks and

waste management. Environmental health is an essential part of the long term fight against the spread of cholera and other diseases related to water and sanitation management. The financial resources of numerous NGOs that ensured drinking water distribution and removal of excrement from latrines and septic tanks in Port-au-Prince are running out or have been exhausted.  Transition strategies offer only a limited solution, and serious concerns exist with regard to access to drinking water and adequate public health conditions.

Mental Health

The working group that formulates the Mental Health Policy and the National Plan continues to be dynamic. This group consists of the MSPP, PAHO/WHO, national and international mental health actors and several experts from universities (Toronto, and Montreal). The drafting of the national policy document is currently being finalized.

The list of essential psychotropic drugs for the country is in its final stages of development and the proposal will be submitted to the MSPP by mid-April. The WHO-AIMS is in its final phase, consisting of the compilation of data and development of the evaluation report.

Health Promotion

The final version of The Ways of Working (WOW) document on hygiene promotion will be circulated starting 6 April. It systemizes the lessons learned formulated during the Hygiene and Sanitation Promotion Workshop (Haiti 2010) held at Moulin Sur Mer on 11-12 March.

Nutrition

To continue to reinforce MSPP capacity, PAHO/WHO has provided support for the development and reproduction of 500 copies of the Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) management protocols that were provided to the MSPP in September 2010. With the cholera outbreak, PAHO/WHO has provided support to the MSPP to update the Protocol, taking into account the care of malnourished children suffering from

cholera.

New growth standards: In May 2010, PAHO/WHO took the lead in MSPP adopting new growth standards, and later by professional associations and partners. Based on these new standards, PAHO/WHO has supported the MSPP in the review of the “chemen lasante” map, thereby creating the opportunity to dispose of a draft of a child nutrition and health booklet since February 2011.

Revision of the IMCI: In order to make the necessary adjustments based on new WHO

recommendations and on the new national protocol for GAM management, PAHO/WHO is offering support for the review of current IMCI standards. The review of the national nutrition policy is underway.

Fortification: In order to prevent micronutrient deficiencies, the technical nutrition committee that support to the MSPP is currently conducting discussions on fortification of wheat flour with micronutrients.

Post Earthquake Health Surveillance

World TB Day, which took place on March 24th 2011, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis remains an epidemic, causing several million deaths each year, mostly in developing countries.

This year, Haiti’s National TB Program of the Ministry of Health commemorated the World TB Day by organizing a Ceremony to launch the Reconstruction of the TB Hospital of Leogane, which was totally destroyed by the 2010 Earthquake. The Leogane center received the most significant number of TB cases in the country, and its loss resulted in an enormous challenge for TB services.

The meeting was aired on Haitian National Television and was attended by all national and international TB partners. The reconstruction will be done by Italian NGO INTERSOS, with technical support by PAHO/WHO and additional support by the Japanese Embassy.

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