Haiti - Emergency Health Intervention - Pan American Health Organization 2016

March 2016 – Haiti continues to make significant progress in recovering from the devastating earthquake of January 2010. However critical needs and acute vulnerabilities remain for 1.6 million who require humanitarian assistance in 2016. An estimated 3 million people are suffering from food insecurity including 2 million people experiencing severe food insecurity. Although the overall incidence of cholera has been reduced it remains one of the largest epidemics in the world. Life-saving activities remain necessary to cut the transmission of the disease and ensure that adequate care is provided to the most vulnerable of the affected population. Haiti also ranks as one of the countries with the highest exposure to natural disasters with an estimated 60% of the population vulnerable to natural hazards. With GAC’s support and other donors PAHO is increasing access to basic health services and the effectiveness and efficiency of the prevention and treatment of cholera in Haiti. Project activities include: (1) strengthening clinical management and rapid response to waterborne diseases in health facilities; (2) providing essential medicine and medical supplies to health facilities; (3) improving access to safe water sanitation and hygiene in health centres and communities; and (4) providing sensitization and hygiene promotion activities in high-risk areas.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved response to waterborne diseases; (2) improved access to health services; (3) increased access to safe water sanitation and hygiene in health centres; and (4) improved knowledge of hygiene practices. The expected intermediate outcome is the reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.