Emergency

Within 48 hours of the deadly January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, AmeriCares arrived, airlifting $6 million in crucial medicines that made a lifesaving difference to the countless numbers of innocent people trapped in the rubble and chaos.

Today, we remain firmly on the ground – with a clear plan of action to strengthen Haiti’s health care system and bring help to thousands of families who struggle daily with poverty, disease, and malnutrition.

• More children are being vaccinated against the threat of disease;
• Expectant mothers and their babies are getting the care they need to survive and thrive;
• Neighborhoods, orphanages, and villages are winning the fight against cholera, and learning how to best prevent its onset;
• Health workers are being trained to help their communities today, and respond to future disasters.

Recovery

Today AmeriCares Haiti—with its office, warehouse, and 16 staff—is officially recognized as a non-governmental organization within the country. Working with trusted partners, our recovery aid focuses on:

• Improving access to health care: with donations of anesthetics, antibiotics, vitamins, pain relievers and medicines to treat chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.
• Cholera prevention and treatment: we’ve delivered 325,000 treatments and supported prevention programs that target health education, hygiene promotion and training of more than 100,000 health workers in urban and rural communities.
• Improving maternal and child health: Supporting health programs targeting women and children, including vaccination programs, along with health and safety education for adolescent girls.
• Preparing for future disasters: We are funding projects that pre-position crucial supplies so partners can prepare for local emergencies, and fund equipment and training to increase the capacity of emergency medical services.