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01/30/2012
Infographic: Reaching NTD Goals by 2020
Magazine Editor

01/27/2012
The International AIDS Conference Begins to Take Shape
Craig Moscetti

01/19/2012
Voices on Ownership: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
John Donnelly

01/19/2012
Questions on the Future Financing of Global Health
Craig Moscetti

01/17/2012
Voices on Ownership: Administrator Rajiv Shah
John Donnelly

01/11/2012
Yes, They Do Make House Calls
Mary Beth Powers

12/13/2011
Stemming the Tide of African Health Worker Migration
Mary O'Neil

12/08/2011
The Shirt You Couldn’t Miss: Integrating HIV and GBV Prevention
Daniel Cothran

12/07/2011
Different Countries, Different Issues, Same Question: Where is the Money?
Crystal Lander

12/01/2011
World AIDS Day 2011: Looking at a Year of Change
Andrew Fullem

11/29/2011
Investing in 215 Million Women
Frederick T. Sai

10/23/2011
All for Equity, Health for All: World Conference on Social Determinants of Health Calls for Change
Gahan Furlane

10/21/2011
To Improve 7 billion Lives, One Hand Washes the Other
Conrad Person

10/20/2011
In Bangladesh, Integrated Family Planning Model Shows Great Promise
Catharine McKaig and Jaime Mungia

10/19/2011
Social Determinants of Health: The Key to Sustainable Development
Gahan Furlane

More blog archives >

Catholic Medical Mission Board Helps Haiti

01/14/2010

Haiti's newest tragedy and its coming public health challenges

 

Jan. 13, 2010

This morning, I woke up in Zambia, where I am traveling on business, to an email from CMMB staffer, Kathy Tebbett, that contained the simple message below:

"The old St. Damien's Hospital in Petionville collapsed......Our Little Brothers and Sisters have staff and volunteers trapped there....they are digging out and organizing airlifts....please keep them in your prayers."

This was followed by another message from a consignee of ours, Father Rick Frechette. I'm not privy to share the full email with you, but the subject line says it all - "Haiti's newest tragedy. We need God's help."

This tragedy - the worst earthquake in 200 years - has displaced an estimated third of Haiti's population. With their homes in ruins, many have nowhere to go and people are sleeping in the street for another night. Emergency care is going to be almost impossible to access - every day is an emergency for Haiti - and the greatest demand for medical care is during the first 24 hours after an earthquake. For those trapped, it's the first 72 hours that are key. But where do we go from here? CMMB's distribution center has already arranged for 20 pallets of well-needed scrubs, toothbrushes, medicines and other medical supplies to be sent out tomorrow morning, and we will continue to accept and send donations to Haiti as long as basic health care is a need.

Haiti's Coming Public Health Challenges

Once we move beyond the present tragedy of this earthquake, we need to focus on the long-term. After the broken and crushed bones, dust inhalation, and burns, quake survivors will face the challenges of dengue fever, typhoid, malaria, trauma and treatment for serious injuries.

CMMB will be there to help with all this - providing emergency funding for the partners who work with us in our maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS and malaria programs. We will send medical volunteers and, of course, more medicines.

I am sure this has been an overwhelming time for us all. After participating in war-room-like conference calls, creating Haiti quake relief teams and mobilizing all the staff we can to figure out who's where and what we can do, I have been able to reflect on the fragility of Haiti. We all know it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and CMMB knows better than many since we've been working there since 1912. And, after the first-responders and emergency relief leaves CMMB will still be there.

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CMMB in Haiti

CMMB is accepting monetary contributions, as well as medicines and medical supplies to assist victims of the quake. CMMB has been working in Haiti since 1912 and maintains a key office there. Last year, the organization sent 77 shipments of donated medicines and medical supplies valued at over $64 million dollars to help those in need. CMMB also deployed 240 long-and short-term healthcare volunteers in the last year in Haiti. Its on-the-ground maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS and malaria programs help tens of thousands of Haitians annually.

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Jeff Jordan is senior vice president for programs at the Catholic Medical Mission Board.