COUNTRY BACKGROUND
Haiti’s history is wrought with the challenges of perpetual political and social violence dating back to the days of independence in the early 1800s. In 2004 the UN Security Council unanimously voted on a resolution to establish peacekeeping forces in Haiti after a popular revolt ousted the president of the Republic. Infrastructure has continued to deteriorate, resulting in some of the worst socioeconomic conditions of any country in the Americas.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, according to the UN Development Program, with 78% of the population living on less than $2 a day. Communicable diseases are responsible for nearly 38% of all deaths. The World Health Organization reports that HIV/AIDS is the single leading cause of death and is aggravated by tuberculosis, another leading cause of mortality. The infant mortality rate is high, with 83 infants dying for every 1,000 live births — this rate is more than two-and-a-half times higher than Haiti’s neighbors in Central America.
AmeriCares has been providing humanitarian aid to Haiti since 1984, partnering with local health care organizations that serve multiple regions of the country. Today we serve three partners: Partners in Health (PIH), the Center for Rural Development of Milot (CRUDEM) and the Haitian Health Foundation (HHF). Located in geographically disparate areas, these partners make health care available to people whose movement within the country is limited by weak infrastructure and the constant threat of violence.
In this volatile environment AmeriCares helps our partners to serve more patients and avoid stock-outs in their pharmacies with eight planned shipments of vital medicines and medical supplies per year. AmeriCares aid to the three partners has surpassed $19 million. AmeriCares has also provided immediate relief to emergency situations including flooding and political turmoil.
GLOBAL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Support for AIDS Orphans and the Prevention of Mother-to-Child-Transmission of HIV with Partners in Health
Partners in Health manages eight clinics and one hospital in the Central Plateau of Haiti, and provides health care services to more than 1 million patient visits annually. The AmeriCares-PIH partnership began in 2005, with an emphasis on support for PIH’s program for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) with donations of nutritional supplements. Transmission of HIV at birth or through breastfeeding remains a major public health problem in Haiti (as well as the rest of the world, where 320,000 of the 800,000 HIV infections that occur in children each year are due to breastfeeding). Adult prevalence of HIV infection and AIDS is 5.6%, according to CIA World Factbook, and Partners in Health estimated that 163,000 Haitian children are AIDS orphans.
Additionally, in 2007, AmeriCares funded the construction of PIH’s newest clinic in Lacolline, central Haiti. The clinic, which opened its doors in 2008, relieves severe overcrowding at other facilities, expands the level of service within the area and provides a space that is appropriately designed to deliver high quality medical care in one of the poorest regions of the country.
Reaching Underserved Populations in Milot with CRUDEM
Founded in 1968, the Center for the Rural Development of Milot provides a complete range of public health services for a population of 225,000 people in northern Haiti. CRUDEM Foundation is responsible for the operation of the largest nonprofit hospital in this area, Hôpital Sacré Coeur, in the town of Milot. From maternity services to a nutrition center to HIV/AIDS services, CRUDEM serves more than 50,000 outpatients per year. AmeriCares began the partnership with CRUDEM in 1994 and continues to supplement CRUDEM’s stock of medicines and supplies, which are critically needed but expensive and not readily available within the country.
Combining Health Education and Quality Care with the Haitian Health Foundation
In 2003 AmeriCares joined in partnership with the Connecticut-based Haitian Health Foundation to support its programs in Jérémie, Haiti. HHF administers a large outpatient clinic and adjacent eye clinic, community health worker and village health committee programs, a nutritional rehabilitation center and a maternal waiting home for 350-400 patients a day. The AmeriCares-HHF partnership facilitates the availability of a wide variety of medicines and supplies that serve the greater Jérémie population of 200,000. AmeriCares has also supported HHF’s “Youth for Healthy Haiti Program” for two years, which offers a unique opportunity to combine health education with soccer for young females. Recently, AmeriCares worked to supply HHF’s “Center for Hope” maternal center with medicines essential for a safe delivery, packaged into birthing kits.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
High Frequency of Natural Disasters
Located on the western third of Hispaniola, Haiti shares a border with the Dominican Republic and is often crosscut by storms of varying intensity, which further impedes development efforts. In 2004, when violent flash floods and mudslides devastated much of Haiti through Tropical Storm Jeanne and Hurricane Ivan, AmeriCares responded with emergency aid by air, sea and courier. Also in 2004, AmeriCares flew and shipped emergency relief to Haiti after the civil and political unrest that affected the entire country. In both instances AmeriCares partnered with The Center for Development and Health (CDS) and the Haitian Red Cross. These emergency shipments brought essential medicines, nutritional supplements, supplies, hygiene items, clothing and 1,000 five-liter water filtration units to Haitians in need.
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