Haiti

You are currently browsing the archive for the Haiti category.

Haiti Quake Efforts Were Hampered by Poor Information Sharing

January 20, 2012 in Haiti by Jonathan White | No comments

Displaced Earthquake survivors living in temporary camps

By Dr. Martina Fuchs

Having witnessed Haiti post-earthquake firsthand, the enclosed news release provides an accurate analysis of the humanitarian efforts. The Pan American Health Organization pretty much co-managed the relief efforts with the Haitian government.

Photos in this blog posting were all taken by Real Medicine Foundation photographer, George Papuashvili and are the property of Real Medicine.

Family in a Tent Camp

PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION www.paho.org

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION www.who.int

News and Public Information

News Release

 

Haiti Quake Efforts Were Hampered by Poor Information Sharing

Foreign responders often ignored guidance and authority of Haitian government, says new PAHO/WHO report

Washington, D.C., January 13, 2012 (PAHO/WHO) — The massive humanitarian response that followed Haiti’s January 2010 earthquake was less effective than it could have been due to poor coordination and information sharing and widespread disregard among international groups for the authority of the Haitian government, according to a new report from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

To  improve future relief efforts in low-income countries, the international community should help strengthen government capacity for coordination as part of support for risk reduction and disaster preparedness, the report concludes.

The new study, Health response to the earthquake in Haiti: Lessons to be learned for the next massive sudden-onset disaster, examines the health effects of the quake and the effectiveness of national and international health relief efforts. It was released on the second anniversary of the Jan. 12, 2010, quake.

The report says Haitians themselves responded swiftly and effectively, saving many lives before foreign help could arrive. However, the domestic response was severely limited by the devastation of the country’s capital and the impact on government staff and facilities.

 

City and tent camps

The 7.0-magnitude quake (MMS scale) was among the most damaging in recent times, leaving more than 220,000 dead, over 300,000 injured, and some 1.3 million forced into temporary shelters. This catastrophic outcome was the result of both socioeconomic and seismic factors: the vulnerability of Haitian housing and construction, the shallow hypocenter of the quake (close to the earth’s surface), and its proximity to the country’s most important urban center. Rural areas in the West and South-East departments were also badly affected.

 

“Admittedly, Haiti was not prepared for any type of mass casualties. But no country or system could have had an orderly response to a disaster of this magnitude that affected the political, administrative, and economic center of the country,” the report notes.

 

For its part, the international community reacted quickly and generously, mobilizing a massive amount of resources to provide essential health services that were in urgent demand. This included valuable assistance from health authorities and facilities in the Dominican Republic and from other countries in the Caribbean, who sent assistance in the first hours after the quake.

 

However, the overall effectiveness of international efforts was undermined because many foreign actors, including most NGOs, worked with minimal coordination and with little or no regard for the authority of the Haitian government.

 

“One of the key lessons to be re-learned from the Haiti earthquake is that coordination can only be effective if the national authorities (civil protection, health, and other line ministries) are equipped and truly assume the ultimate leadership and authority for coordination,” writes PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses in the report’s foreword.

A critical shortcoming of the response was the lack of information sharing among different care providers. This led to lapses in follow-up care for surgical patients, including amputees, and missed opportunities for quake victims to get specialized care. For example, a dialysis center set up to treat victims with crush injuries operated at only 20 percent of its 200-patient capacity because other care providers were unaware of its existence. Compiling and disseminating a list of health facilities and the services they provide should be one of the first priorities in any future disaster, the report recommends.

 

Other lessons and recommendations include:

  • Strengthening local search-and-rescue (SAR) capacity should be a priority for disaster preparedness. Although international SAR teams reported saving 132 lives in Haiti, local people saved many more lives before foreign teams could arrive.

 

  • The “cluster” system—in which different U.N. agencies assume lead responsibility for different areas (health, water and sanitation, logistics)—should be aligned with the host government’s ministerial structure and based on a formal agreement reached prior to any disaster.

    Tent Camps and Rubble

 

  • Management of bodies—including identification and respectful burial—remains a critical area that few humanitarian organizations are equipped to address.

 

  • Although some donated medicines arrived without labels, expired, or unsorted, overall drug donations appeared to be more in line with WHO guidelines than in past disasters.

 

  • “Poaching” of national health staff by foreign groups offering higher salaries and better conditions was a problem in Haiti, as it has been in other disasters. Ministry of Health guidelines for payment of Haitian public staff by international actors were adopted by some groups but ignored by most.

RMF CEO, Dr. Martina Fuchs, and Dr. Patrick Dupont, RMF Haiti Project Coordinator

 

  • A few unruly incidents during supply distribution were overblown by the media, and the notion that disasters produce social disorder and violence was once again proven to be a myth.

 

  • Health actors’ relations with the media seemed more focused on public relations than on informing and educating the public. Practices such as embedding journalists in needs-assessment missions could benefit the affected population by better publicizing the local response and other success stories.

In addition to shortcomings in the response, the report highlights a number of successes. One example was PAHO/WHO’s deployment of the logistics and supply management system LSS/SUMA, which provided critical information and was one of the few international instruments that was directly managed by national authorities.

RMF sponsored Nurse at Lambert Sante Clinic

The report also points to some longer-term positive outcomes that are contributing to Haitian reconstruction and development. These include:

 

  • The provision of free obstetric and child care through two programs (SOG and SIG) developed by PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Health and funded by Canada, Japan, the World Bank and the European Union.

 

  • The decentralization and strengthening of health services at the departmental and community levels.

 

  • Permanent improvements in some specialized areas of medical care, such as treatment for spinal cord injuries, thanks to the influence and resources of foreign medical groups.

 

  • The establishment of a surveillance system and strengthening of the Epidemiology Department of the Ministry of Health.

RMF's CEO Dr. Martina Fuchs, RMF Haiti's Dr. Patrick Dupont, Medical Mission International’s Program Director, Doug Kendrick, and Hospital Staff

 

  • A new focus on community-based mental health services as a complement to hospital-based care.

 

  • Greater awareness of and commitment to disaster risk reduction.

 

  • A project to incorporate the concept of “safe hospitals” into Haiti’s reconstruction efforts, funded by Denmark and the World Bank.

 

  • A new national program for attention to victims of sexual violence, led by the Ministry of Health.

 

  • Wider social acceptance of people with disabilities, following the large number of disabling injuries that affected Haitians from all walks of life.

 

“The disaster brought significant changes in mentality, behavior, and attitude,” wrote the report’s authors, Claude de Ville de Goyet, Juan Pablo Sarmiento, and François Grünewald. “It is up to the Haitians and the international community to ensure that those changes endure.”

 

LINKS:

Download the report: http://new.paho.org/disasters/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1626&Itemid=1

 

PAHO/WHO program on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief:

www.paho.org/disasters

Contact: Donna Eberwine-Villagran, email: eberwind@paho.org This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel. +1 202 974 3122, Knowledge Management and Communication Area, PAHO/WHO – http://www.paho.org/

 

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

To contribute more information about our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts,

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

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Haiti Situation Report from United Nations

June 14, 2011 in Haiti by Jonathan White | Comments closed

 

The orange alert has been lifted on 9 June by the Direction de la protection civile (DPC). River water levels have started to recede in affected areas of the Nippes, West, Artibonite and Centre departments.

According to final estimates by the DPC, 28 people died, 6 have been injured and 6 are still reported missing. The West department, including Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, has the highest fatality rate with 22 deaths.

CAMP COORDINATION/MANAGEMENT (CCCM)

Needs: A total 213 vulnerable sites were assessed by telephone between 6 and 7 June. Needs assessment teams, deployed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 91 of those camps, reported that tenwere severely flooded. Of those 91 camps, 29 are large sites hosting more than 1,000 households.

Response: The Direction de la protection civile (DPC) and CCCM partners are currently providing

assistance to 10 sites hosting internally displaced people (IDPs) in earthquake affected communes. Mitigation activities are ongoing in six of the large camps hosting more than 1,000 families and around 200 tents will be distributed. Assistance is being provided to help IDPs drain the water and remove the mud and rubbles in and around camps.

Gaps & Constraints: Water canals near camps are blocked and need to be cleared to prevent further flooding and landslide. Additional tents and tarps are urgently needed, stresses the CCCM Cluster.

WATER SANITATION HYGIENE (WASH)

Needs: Latrines and showers are damaged, mostly in camps with no WASH actors, reports the Cluster. Dispersion of fecal matters is reported in some camps. A deterioration of residual chlorine levels has also been observed in water distribution systems.

Response: WASH partners are conducting drainage activities in camps although water levels have started to recede. Distribution of WASH items is ongoing. The Direction de l’eau et de l’assainissement (DINEPA) is scaling up its monitoring of residual chlorine water levels of community water distribution stations.

Gaps & Constraints: Desludging and repair of latrines are urgent. Additional Aquatabs and jerricans are needed to prevent further cholera outbreaks. More rakes, wheel barrows and shovels are needed to clearmud and stagnating water. Due to a lack of latrines and showers in Grande Saline in the Artibonite department, affected population use water canals.

HEALTH/NUTRITION

Needs: The increase in the number of new cholera cases seems to stabilize in Port-au-Prince with 1,938 occupied beds on 9 June compared to 1,885 beds on 8 June and 1, 773 on 7 June. Outbreaks of cholera continue to be reported, particularly in the communes of Peredo and Saint Michel in the South department and in Mapu, Bayonnais, and Dessaline, in the Artibonite department, which was totally flooded when the Artibonite River over flown its banks. Cholera numbers have been on a stable high, and went up over the past two days in Léogâne/Gressier of the Palmes region.

Response: In cooperation with the CCCM Cluster, PAHO has set up a surveillance alert system in camps. An important awareness campaign, organized by the Direction sanitaire de l’Ouest (DSO), in partnership with health partners, will be launched in Carrefour and Martissant which were among hard hit areas of Port-au- Prince metropolitan area. Additional medical supplies (catheters, doxicicline, érythromycine and sirop) have been made available.

Gaps & Constraints: The CTC of Baradères in the Nippes department has run out of fund. As a result, the 27 staff members have not been paid since February and are threatening to go on strike. Under reporting of cholera cases in the South department remains an issue. Drouin UTC in Grande Saline commune has been cut off by flooding and can only provide medical assistance to cholera patients in the immediate vicinity.

EMERGENCY SHELTER

Needs: According to a joint assessment mission between departmental, local authorities and humanitarian partners in the commune of Grande Saline in the Artibonite department, 4, 629 people have been affected (16, 5 per cent of the population).

Response: La Tapie Shelter in Grande Saline is hosting 135 people while 3, 675 others have moved with host families.

Gaps & Constraints: The provision of assistance to affected population and host families is needed.

EDUCATION

Needs: Some schools in Baradères have been flooded, according to the Education Director of the Nippes Department. In Artibonite, one school is hosting 200 people affected by the flooded River Artibonite. In the West department, three schools have been confirmed to be flooded in Port-au-Prince. The five unused classrooms in Thomazeau affected by water rising levels of Lake Azuei continue to be occupied as one of three collective centers.

Response: Cleaning of Port-au-Prince affected schools was done immediately after the rain and no disruption of classes have been observed.

FOOD SECURITY/AGRICULTURE

Needs: the flooding of agricultural fields has resulted in the loss of manioc, sweet potatoes, rice, and tomato crops in Grande Saline, according to a joint assessment between departmental, local authorities and humanitarian partners.

Response: provision of agricultural tools and seeds, distribution of food and kitchen kits are scheduled to take place in the coming days.

LOGISTICS

Response: An integrated mission with departmental and local authorities, the Direction de l’eau et del’assainissement (DINEPA), the National Haitian police (PNH), MINUSTAH and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was conducted on 9 June in Baradères in the Nippes department in response to heavy flooding. Two areas suitable for helicopter landing were identified for an emergency response should the city be cut off by flooding in the future. Two trucks were deployed on 9 June by the Ministère des travaux publics, transport et communication (MTPCT) and the Direction sanitaire des Nippes (DSNI) to deliver food rations on 9 June in the commune of Baradères. Global Mapping of Emergency Stockpiles, a collaborative initiative between the Global Logistics Cluster Support Cell and OCHA, provides a pre-selection of what is accessible in the country. It is accessible at:

http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/stockmap.

Tags: , ,

UN Haiti situation report: Humanitarian Bulletin

June 6, 2011 in Haiti by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Cholera alerts on the rise

The number of weekly hospitalizations nationwide has increased from an average 1,700 to 2,600, reports PAHO in its latest bulletin dated May 27. The South-East, Grande Anse, South and West are the departments most affected by outbreaks of cholera with a surge over the past three weeks inthe number of daily alerts received from partners in the field. In the South-East department, the number of hospitalization has tripled over the past two weeks, with some of the cases coming however from neighboring West Department. From 21-23 May, a significant increase of cases in Port-au-Prince metropolitan area has also been reported. As of 2 June, close to 2,000 cases and 13 deaths had been reported. Some donors including ECHO and USAID have indicated the availability of new funds to respond to further cholera outbreaks.

PAHO is noting that it is too early to say whether there is a change in the tendency of the epidemic. The rise in the number of alerts might be due to the closure of Cholera Treatment Units (CTUs) and Centers (CTCs), resulting in the accumulation of cases in other health infrastructures still open. Given the early detection of alerts, a prompt response has been implemented. PAHO/WHO is coordinating the response through the Preparedness Emergency and Disaster Relief (PED) teams deployed at the departmental level. Those teams are tasked with distributing prepositioned emergency stocks, coordinating with the Ministry of Public Health (MSPP), and deploying rapid response teams, in collaboration with several NGOs, for initial control of the health situation and epidemiological surveillance. In coordination with UNICEF, PAHO/WHO is supporting the installation of oral rehydration points, particularly in Port-au-Prince.

 As of 22 May:

  • 1.7% mortality rates nationwide
  • 314,539 cumulative cholera cases
  • 5,332 number of deaths

 

CONTINGENCY PLANNING

Awareness campaign on seismic and tsunami risks continues The awareness raising campaign on seismic and tsunami risks reduction, which started last February under the leadership of the Direction de la protection civile (DPC), moved to the North, North-East and Nippes departments. From 7 to 13 May, hundreds of school children and individuals from major cities, including Cap Haïtien, Ouanaminthe and Fort Liberté, attended conferences and public debates with the participation of specialists from the Bureau des mines et de l’énergie (BME) and the Service maritime de la navigation d’Haïti (SENAMAH). Public screenings of documentaries

were also conducted at Place Notre Dame in Cap Haïtien. These activities were organized by the Thematic Committee on Education and Public awareness, in coordination with local authorities. May 7th coincided with the commemoration of the 159th anniversary of the 1842 earthquake and tsunami which destroyed the city of Cap Haïtien. The earthquake killed 5,000 people, and the tsunami 300 individuals. In the Nippes department, about 150 young volunteers marched through Miragoâne on 18 May.This third consecutive edition of the event was also attended by delegations of students and volunteers from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civil Service. Professor Eric Calais of Purdue University, commissioned by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) since July 2010 to provide technical support to the Haitian Government on seismic risks, and engineer Gerard Métayer, held a panel discussion onearthquake and tsunami risks on 17 May. These activities were conducted with the support of UNDP, Plan Haiti, and the participation of the National Haitian Police (PNH) and the Alliance pour la gestion des risques et la continuité des activités (AGERCA).

FOOD

Survival strategies of vulnerable population exhausted in some areas The cumulative and simultaneous impact of the price increase, financial pressure on households due to school tuition since October, and the reduction of humanitarian aid over the past nine months have contributed to higher levels of poverty of vulnerable households, according to a study conducted from 4 to 6 and 11 to 13 May. The study was led by WFP, FAO, OXFAM, ACF, in support of the National Coordination for Food Security (CNSA), in the Port-au-Prince neighborhoods of Carrefour Feuilles, Croix-des Bouquets and Camp Aviation, in two villages of Anse Rouge, one village of Saline.

OCHA Haiti Humanitarian Bulletin

May. 2011 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – http://ochaonline.un.org | 5 neighborhood of Gande Rabuteau in Gonaïves in the Artibonite Department. All survival strategies to cope with rising prices have been exhausted, notes the study. Incomes of most households surveyed, the majority headed by women with children, have fallen sharply and this trend continues. With rising prices and declining purchasing power, small businesses have become much less profitable, forcing women to buy food on credit or beg to feed their children. In Gonaïves, job opportunities in the salt marches have also fallen sharply following hurricane Tomas. In Anse Rouge, rural households experiencing lower poverty levels, and whose main source of income is agriculture, have also seen a drop in income due to higher prices of agricultural inputs, fuel and labor.

School fees and contingencies

Therefore, households’ nutritional status has worsened, the poorest having reduced their number of daily meals from three to two. For the poorest of the poorest, the daily consumption of food has been cut down to one meal a day. The consumption of meat and rice was significantly reduced and replaced by less nutritious food such as “arbre véritable” and sweet potato. Mothers report that their children are thinner and complain of headaches and stomachaches, which are potential signs of hunger, malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency. Some school principals have observed cases of fainting and reduced attention in class. Those households go to health centers as a last resort because they can no longer afford to buy drugs in pharmacies.

With rising prices, poor households also experience difficulties in meeting school tuition. As a result, a significant number of children were taken out of school since last December. In some classes the number of school children has dropped by half. Almost half of the women surveyed In Rabuteau have taken their children out of school. Some families cannot not even afford to keep children in community schools where tuition are very low, from 50 to 200 Gourdes per year (1 to 5 US$).

With rising prices, poor households also experience difficulties in meeting school tuition. As a result, a significant number of children were taken out of school since last December. In some classes the number of school children has dropped by half. Almost half of the women surveyed In Rabuteau have taken their children out of school. Some families cannot not even afford to keep children in community schools where tuition are very low, from 50 to 200 Gourdes per year (1 to 5 US$).

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.

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

To contribute more information about our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts,

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

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Current Health Cluster Bulletin from Haiti

February 2, 2011 in Disaster Relief, Haiti, Helping Children, Providing Medical Support, South America by Jonathan White | Comments closed

The Following report is compiled by the the Ministère de la Sante 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. Dana van Alphen.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

The security situation has presently improved in all regions of the country, but may deteriorate again, as the problems associated with last elections remain unresolved. The celebration of Carnival, which begins o Sunday in some cities, could potentially lead to an escalation of violence, but also may provide an opportunity for community mobilization for cholera prevention and to fight cholera-related stigma and discrimination.

As people are being moved from camps, UNDP has proposed an interagency plan to find housing solutions, access to healthcare, water and sanitation for the thousands of families who will be located.

SURVEILLANCE AND ALERTS



On 24 January, 2011, the MSPP has reported a total of 209,034 cases of cholera, with 4,030 deaths.Based on the surveillance data, the epidemic in Haiti appears to be stabilizing. The number ofnew cases reported daily is sometimes smaller than those reported in previous days.

In rural areas, where access to health care and cholera prevention information is poor, health partners continue to report an increased number of cases. Surveillance reporting from rural areas remains poor. This could lead to a misinterpretation of the current trend of the cholera epidemic in Haiti.

Over the past two weeks, the average number of new hospital admissions was about 7,000 per week. MSPP, PAHO/WHO and CDC (US Centers for Disease Control) continue the investigation of four paralysis cases in cholera patients that occurred in the coastal city of Port-de-Paix. It is likely that polio will be dismissed as the cause of these cases. A final diagnosis depends on laboratory results. Experts are investigating the possibility that contamination has occurred in hospitals or in the patient‟s homes and may originate from medicines, food, or other sources. As a precaution, vaccine against polio was included in the vaccination campaign against diphtheria and measles in the department of the North West.

At the meeting of national epidemiologists held on 20 and 21 January, participants and members of a working group composed of MSPP, PAHO/WHO, Cuban Brigade, MSF, and CDC produced a new set of recommendations: health partners need to ensure the decentralization of collection and analysis of epidemiological data to the departmental level and help enhance the quality of information collected at the community level.

MONITORING THE CHOLERA RESPONSE



MSPP and PAHO/WHO will evaluate the operation of CTCs and CTUs. The initiative aims to better understand the disparity in the outcomes of various establishments, such as the differences in death rates among hospitalized patients, length of hospitalizations, percentage of patients treated with IV infusion and the proportion of severe cases.

The purpose of the evaluation is to assess the knowledge of cholera case management and adequate use of treatment and sanitation protocols. Any deviation from the recommended standard of care will be addressed quickly through staff training, clinical management, inventory management, waste management and sanitation.

The reports of 27 visits to health establishments in the West department were already sent to PAHO/WHO for analysis. Not all of them provide comprehensive information, such as the total number of beds, occupancy rates, average consumption of ORS sachets and IV fluids per patient, death rate, and number of deaths.

The majority of establishments seem to use proper treatment protocols and have procedures for organization, sanitation and hygiene. Inventories are generally enough for 30 days, with the exception of the ones experiencing stock-outs of ORS sachets. Community actions developed in the surrounding area, however, are not routinely linked with the establishments providing cholera care. The evaluation visits already helped to correct anomalies and improve patient care.

The roll-out of evaluations in other departments is underway, as part of an effort of MSPP teams at the central and departmental levels, PAHO/WHO, and the volunteer physicians from the Haitian Medical Association.

The description of the quality standards used o evaluate CTCs and CTUs and schedule of future assessments can be found on the following links: http://haiti.humanitarianresponse.info/LinkClick.aspx?link=Health+Cluster/Concept+de+surveillance+de+la+qualite+CTC.doc·&tabid=77&mid=757

And http://haiti.humanitarianresponse.info/LinkClick.aspx?link=Health+Cluster%2fCALENDRIER++EVALUATION+QUALITE+DES+UTC+ET+CTC.pdf&tabid=77&mid=757

Following the announcement of reduction of activities related to cholera by the humanitarian community (particularly NGOs), including the closure of some CTCs and CTUs, the MSPP and Health Cluster partners initiated a discussion about the handover of CTCs and CTUs to other partners or to the MSPP and local level health authorities. In the medium and long term, the strategy is to prioritize the establishment of “diarrhea units” in every primary health center and the training of health workers for the treatment of cholera.

Health partners were reminded last week about the critical importance of screening for severe acute malnutrition in children with cholera. A protocol is available in the Haiti Humanitarian Response website

FUNDING



Only USD 78,252,600 is yet available of the USD 906,961,206 requested through the 2011 Consolidated Appeal for Haiti. This represents 9% of the total amount asked from donor organizations.

HAITI HEALTH CLUSTER BULLETIN #16 –

An USD 20 million agreement for will be signed between Haiti, the Inter-American Development Bank and UNICEF, with the objective to lower the mortality rate from 2% to 1%. The project will focus on the Northwest, and Northeast departments.

MSPP.

Haiti one year on

January 6, 2011 in Disaster Relief, General, Haiti, Helping Children, Providing Medical Support by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Photo from Guardian.co.uk

As we approach the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake of January 12, 2010, it is a sad reminder of how little has actually been done to rebuild Haiti.  Only the most basic of healthcare and tent accommodation is available for the 1 Million that are still homeless, and unbelievably only 5% of the rubble created by the earthquake has been cleared.

These are shocking statistics considering over $2 Billion was pledged to the relief efforts, with only 42% of funding has actually been spent and the coordination between the UN and all other aid agencies has been very poor to date.

We are continuing to present and push our hospital consortium proposal as a step towards Haitian healthcare capacity building and sustainability.  Our Project Coordinator in Haiti wrote recently about the challenges facing our efforts in Haiti here.

For a good summary of the situation on the ground, read this Guardian article here.

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

To contribute more information about our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts,

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

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Last 3 days to give!

December 29, 2010 in Africa, Armenia, Asia, Athletes for Real Medicine, Burma, Disaster Relief, Donate, Europe, Events, General, Haiti, Helping Children, In the news, India, Indonesia, Initiatives, Kenya, Los Angeles, Mission, Mozambique, Nigeria, North America, Pakistan, Partners, Peru, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, South America, Sri Lanka, Strategies for the Future, Sudan, Thank You, Uganda, Videos, Voices from the Field, Whole Health by Jonathan White | Comments closed

If you were considering donating to a worthy cause in 2010 and taking advantage of the tax benefits of charitable donations, now is your last chance to contribute!

As we look towards new efforts and projects in 2011 it is only through your generous funding that we will be able to continue our long term development projects in some of the poorest areas on this planet.

As you know, we have set the goal of raising $100,000 by December 31st, and would greatly appreciate if you consider Real Medicine for your year-end donation.

In the spirit of Real Medicine Foundation’s concept of “Friends helping Friends helping Friends” so much is possible when we do it together.

From all of us here at Real Medicine: Thank you for your support!

Make your year-end donation now.

Tags: , ,

Haiti Fundraiser NYC, December 16th: RMF selected as beneficiary by Urban Zen

December 13, 2010 in Disaster Relief, Events, Haiti, Helping Children, In the news, Initiatives, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, Whole Health by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Urban Zen Center

711 Greenwich Street

New York City

www.urbanzen.org

Real Medicine Foundation is proud to announce that we have been designated as a beneficiary for the Hope Help Relief for Haiti “The Truth” fundraising event.  Our relief and long term capacity building projects in Haiti will be the sole beneficiaries of any proceeds given to RMF.

Urban Zen Foundation’s Hope Help Relief Haiti for The Truth is a multimedia art exhibition which will provide Gifts of Love to the people of Haiti.

The Truth, a group art exhibit curated by renowned fashion photographer Marc Baptiste, strives to capture the whole story of Haiti and was born of Marc’s vision to share the message of this country’s rich culture and artisans.

The Haitian community is strong and its artistic roots run deep. This is a celebration of people helping people, hope, courage, commitment, dignity, and the truth of survival. The artwork to be included in the art exhibit and auction is a diverse collection of works by Haitians, Haitian American, and Haitian-inspired artists. A total of 22+ contributing artists present works that include photographic images from before and after the earthquake, fine art photography, paintings, masks, and a slideshow presentation, short films, interviews and footage of Haiti.

All proceeds raised from The Truth Cultural Exhibition will benefit Urban Zen’s Hope Help & Relief Haiti mission.

PDF document describing the event and exhibition Haiti Hope Help Urban Zen

For more information and to register for this event click here: http://www.urbanzen.org/events/hope-relief-haiti-presents-truthmultimedia-cultural-exhibition-launch-party/

Read our last blog update from Haiti

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

To contribute more information about our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts,

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


Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Haiti today: Lambert Santé & Public/Private Hospital Consortium

December 10, 2010 in Disaster Relief, General, Haiti, In the news, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, South America, Whole Health by Jonathan White | 2 comments

By Patrick Dupont

Now, more than 11 months after the catastrophic events of January 12 and the devastating blows to its already impoverished socio-economic state and structures, Haiti’s population is facing many other day-to-day hardships and obstacles, and two new foes:

1. An unprecedented cholera outbreak, which started in October and has already claimed more than 2,000 lives and touched roughly 92,000 Haitians while hospitalizing more than 42,000 of them [PAHO EOC situation report # 16, December 6, 2010].

The Ministry of Health, enrolling many partners amongst the already widely established primary care NGOs has responded promptly to contain and address this epidemic, implementing numerous UTCs (Units for Cholera Treatment) and CTCs (Centers for Cholera Treatment), offering almost 6,000 beds for ambulatory and hospitalization beds distributed throughout the country.

2. Ill prepared and received electoral preparations and an election process that culminated on November 28th in a public denunciation and call for annulment by twelve of the eighteen running presidential candidates, followed by a large protest march, waning only late in the evening.

While reports have varied in content and degree, it has been been commonly accepted that these presidential and legislative elections have been considerably tainted by irregularities, ranging from inability to vote due to poor organization, coercion and intimidation to electoral box stuffing. The days following these much decried elections have been marked by island wide protests, which fortunately did not affect the cholera containment and treatment efforts, and is generating a rising and potential risk for a widespread political crisis as the promised date of release of preliminary results is approaching.

Struggling to recover and re-establish some form of normalcy, the Haitian population is now faced with a raging epidemic and a boiling political situation which could significantly set back all efforts engaged and promised to the reconstruction of this Caribbean island, as most of its more gravely stricken habitants are still residing in tent cities scattered in areas touched by the earthquake, in conditions of sanitation very conducive to the propagation of more such a rampant and lethal outbreaks.

So almost at the one year anniversary of that seismic event which shook to its core the already fragile foundations of this country’s structures and institutions, the situation remains dire and uncertain as the cholera, despite best efforts is predicted to claim more lives, and overall healthcare remains minimal at best. Although massive amount of funds have been pledged and released from around the world to benefit reconstruction of health, economic and social systems, nowhere enough has been achieved.

Real Medicine Foundation, in spite of this situation, is working hard to change this outcome with two major programs: a free clinic funding, providing both primary and secondary care since June 2010 and a much larger project, targeting sustainable accessibility to quality healthcare.

1. Lambert Santé

Although treating more current medical and surgical conditions and less earthquake related injuries and complications, the free clinic at Lambert Santé Surgical facilities has continued to provide health coverage to the population of Pétion-Ville and the surrounding suburbs.

Kept open, partly through funding from Real Medicine Foundation’s partnership with this small surgical clinic, this exclusive private facility prior to the January earthquake has also relied on other organisations recent and past, to continue what the Clinic/Hospital’s owner, Dr. Margaret Degand still considers a patriotic duty. Amongst these NGOs, are found more prominently the ALIMA/Chaîne de l’Espoir foundation joint venture, AOPS/OMS and Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs.

The set up of Lambert Santé make it a more ambulatory healthcare facility, with 4 private rooms and 5 post-op beds, which have since the earthquake been converted into a public unit, providing hospital and surgical care to the patients seen through the agreements with the aforementioned organizations. Imaging space has been reconvened into a free clinic, opened to public patients day and night.

The RMF partnership with Lambert Santé is with ALIMA the only organization with human resources employment and to a greater extent than the later, continuing to insure a staff of three Nurses and three Medical Residents to assist and serve patients needs in emergency, hospitalization and postoperative care, falling mostly under the Clinic’s core competencies: Orthopaedic and reconstructive surgery.

Though not yet developed as envisioned by both parties, this partnership is striving to promote and deliver quality healthcare to the Haitian population in dire need for such basic need. During the past two months of October and November, the free clinic has been taking regular care of more than 60 patients for initial and follow-up care, resulting in more than 200 visits through RMF funding alone, with an average of 3.5 patients a day. Most of the treatments offered consisted of outpatient (82.8%) and minor surgery ambulatory (17.19%) care.

2. Public/Private Hospital Consortium project


The Public/Private Hospital Consortium project is truly the most ambitious project in RMF’s post earthquake relief effort in Haïti, this innovative concept is helping to redefine the public/private partnership in this country, envisioning a more accessible venue to quality healthcare in locally owned and operated healthcare facilities.

This project of private hospital networking is initially comprising three of the most prominent and modern institutions in Haiti: Canapé-Vert, Community and Lambert Santé hospitals, which will offer a vast array of care and services spanning from internal medicine, urology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, endoscopy, conventional and laparoscopic surgery, orthopaedic and reconstructive surgery among their numerous competencies.

Through employed professionals in a vast array of medical and paramedical personnel and subsidized patient care, the Consortium goals will address some of Haiti’s healthcare system’s most crucial problems: Accessibility and sustainability while promoting and establishing accountability and scalability.

In its final phase of preliminary preparations, this project is currently pulling together all resources and partnerships to implement a launching in the first trimester of 2011. Already registered with Haiti’s Ministry of Health and endorsed by the Interim Haitian Reconstruction Committee, the Consortium project will soon materialize a new, more participative and efficient public partnership model in Haiti’s newly redefined healthcare panorama.

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

To contribute more information about our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts,

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

Tags: , , , , , ,

Hot off the presses: Our 2009/2010 Annual Report!

December 8, 2010 in Africa, Armenia, Asia, Athletes for Real Medicine, Caitlin McQuilling, Disaster Relief, Donate, Europe, Events, General, Germany, Haiti, Helping Children, In the news, India, Indonesia, Initiatives, Jaimie Shaff, Jonathan White, Kenya, Los Angeles, Mission, Mozambique, Nigeria, North America, Pakistan, Partners, Peru, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, South America, Sri Lanka, Strategies for the Future, Sudan, Uganda, Voices from the Field, Whole Health by Jonathan White | Comments closed

For full PDF version of our report, please click on the link below:

RMF ANNUAL REPORT 2009/2010

Tags: , , , , ,

« Older entries

© Real Medicine Foundation | About Us | Contact Us | Real Medicine TV | Donate | Subscribe to feed