Haiti: Reduce Cholera and diarrhea in children

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked southern Haiti on January 12, 2010. One of the hardest hit areas was Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital. The death toll was in the thousands. Additionally, millions of Haitians were left homeless, injured and struggling to survive. This earthquake was said to be the worst natural disaster in Haiti for 200 years.

Since the January 12 earthquake, Medical Teams International has sent 18 medical teams with more than 100 doctors, nurses, and other health professionals. Specifically, we have:

• Mobilized more than 165 North America-based medical volunteers and trained local Haitian volunteers to provide treatment for more than 195,000 people. These volunteers donated their medical services valued at nearly $900,000.
• Distributed medicines and medical supplies to help an additional 250,000 earthquake survivors.
• Trained local doctors and nurses at two cholera clinics to respond to the October 2010 cholera outbreak.
• Treated more than 40,000 cholera patients.
• Delivered medicines and medical supplies valued at more than $800,000 to help fight the cholera epidemic.
• Developed a psychosocial disaster trauma training curriculum, which has been approved by the Haitian Ministry of Health.
• Provided 1,400 rehabilitation sessions and much-needed prosthetics to those disabled in the earthquake through our Advantage program, which more specifically:
  1. Provides locally made prosthetics, equipment, rehabilitation and emotional support for people with disabilities.
  2. Conducts seminars and training sessions with community leaders, teachers and pastors to help raise awareness and increase support for disabled communities.
  3. Improves the quality of life for people with disabilities at the community and government levels.

Medical Teams International plans to send three medical brigades to Haiti this year to support the work of our partner Haiti Foundation of Hope in Terra Blanche. Medical Teams International will also provide financial support to our partner HFH. We have established a field office in Haiti to assist transition from the relief phase to recovery and hope that the work we provide can continue to better the situation in Haiti.

Links:

• http://www.medicalteams.org/haiti