Mission Haiti

The postponement of the presidential and legislative elections to January 2006 has prolonged the climate of uncertainty and insecurity which has poisoned the country's political, economic and social life since the departure of President Aristide, in March 2004. With a background of violence, Haiti continues to face enormous poverty. The health risks linked to lack of access to healthcare and the destitution of the population are still very great.

Caring for victims of violence

Port-au-Prince

Activities:

The programme aims to reduce the impact of violence on individuals and promote the multi-disciplinary care of victims by Haitians (health, justice system, communities).
It is based on:

• training healthcare staff in 20 health structures in Port-au-Prince, provided by MdM's team of trainers working in the intervention, rehabilitation, research and expertise centre for victims of violence;
• training doctors and lawyers in giving expert forensic opinions to contribute to the legal recognition of victims of violence;
• supporting URAMEL, MdM's Haitian local partner which is fighting against impunity and for the construction of a state subject to the rule of law;
• strengthening capacity to deal with victims and to collect reliable data from at least 20 health structures.

Outlook:

MdM wishes to strengthen the capacity and quality of the effective treatment of vicims of violence by working specifically in seven health structures in and around the main shanty towns of Port-au-Prince. This work is based on the work already done in the current programme and on close collaboration with the health authorities and those in civil society engaged in promoting the rule of law in Haiti.

Revitalising the health system

Grande-Anse Region

Activities:

Renovating and revitalising five clinics and one health post to improve accessibility, quality of care and institutional management:

• training healthcare staff;
• mobilising and training communities to take part in the health system;
• providing drugs and medical equipment;
• improving the health information system;
• renovating health structures;
• supporting the health authorities.

Outlook:

The project meets specific needs to update health centres which are not working well. There is a pressing need for training in all the area's health structures. This work will be extended to other health centres to provide real health coherence in the area.

Promoting health through hygiene

Grande-Anse Region

Activities:

The general objective is to reduce the mortality and morbidity rates caused by faecal related illnesses in Roseaux district and to increase the coverage of latrines from 0 to 28% in eighteen months. Various objectives and activities are being pursued by MdM: mobilising and raising awareness in the community, training benefiting families in how to use and maintain the latrines supporting health committees, building latrines and carrying out home visits. Lastly, MdMis making families aware of the problem of deforestation by replanting trees with them for each latrine built in the residential area.

Outlook:

Considerable community participation means that this project will be able to continue. After three years, it is reported that 99% of the latrines are used and maintained. Requests from other neighbouring districts or communities not yet covered in Roseaux district make us believe that there is a real prospect of reproducing this action locally.

Training healthcare staff

Pilate

Activities:

Project supporting Pilate hospital, a semi-private institution run by Canadian nuns established in this area many years ago. MdM's activity combines:

• a surgical project which sends a full team for fifteen days to carry out around a hundred operations on patients selected by the nuns throughout the year;
• a mother and child project via a malnutrition screening and treatment programme using health workers supervised by the nuns, and by training officers, matrons and mothers;
• a psychiatric project training healthcare staff (nuns and nurses) in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric illnesses.

Outlook:

Three projects are planned for 2006:

• in surgery;
• in psychiatry, for an extension to Cap Haïtien;
• with a view to adapting the mother and child project to address the increase in malnutrition

July 2007