Haiti - International - Médecins du Monde

ACTIVITIES

MdM supplies and supports eight rural health centres and six rural maternity units, with the aim of setting up free care for pregnant women and children under five years old.

At the same time, MdM has set up a drop-in nutritional screening programme, and looks after the most severe cases of malnutrition. A unit for nutritional stabilisation has been set up in Jeremie hospital, to care for malnourished children who need to be hospitalised.

In February, completely free healthcare was set in motion and the number of supported health centres was increased to respond to the influx of displaced people following the earthquake.

RESULTS

34,596 children under five and 9,062 pregnant women benefited from medical consultations over the duration of the project.

OUTLOOK

As the only medical group present in Grand’Anse department, MdM will continue its actions in 2011 to promote access to healthcare for pregnant women and children under five. MdM, in partnership with FAO and the German Red Cross, will also intensify its efforts in treating cases of moderate malnutrition in the areas identified in 2010.

ACTIVITIES

On 15 January, MdM sent a surgical team to set up surgical activities in Port-au-Prince university hospital. The organisation progressively equipped the operating block, and worked closely with other international organisations on the ground, enabling resources and workload to be shared (triage and post-operative care). At the end of the exercise, MdM handed the programme over to the hospital team, over the course of a week, and donated the equipment that had been put in place.

OUTLOOK

917 surgical operations carried out, of which 16% were orthopaedic interventions, and 78.4% concerned reconstructive surgery and care.

ACTIVITIES

MdM ensured free of charge provision of the Minimum Health Package in 10 temporary clinics. Efforts were concentrated on the care of pregnant women (reproductive health) and on children under five (systemic nutritional screening).
As well as medical care, MdM set up psycho-social care in the communities, through discussion groups, educational games and activities aimed at children and adolescents, awareness raising in the communities and psychological consultations.
MdM also guarantees medical, psychological and legal support for victims of violence, in partnership with four hospitals.

RESULTS

196,930 free medical consultations were carried out in the MdM clinics.

OUTLOOK

The arrangements for the temporary clinics are not intended to be continued in their entirety. In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, MdM will ensure the handover of the clinics to three health centres, as part of a more integrated plan for mother and child health.

ACTIVITIES

In order to prevent the spread of cholera, MdM organised community meetings, educating about the disease and methods of prevention, and distributed soap.

RESULTS

4,707 cases of cholera were treated by MdM.

OUTLOOK

In order to prevent a new cholera epidemic, and to ensure it is able to react quickly and effectively, MdM will, in 2011, incorporate into all of its programmes epidemiological monitoring, an early warning system, training personnel to deal with epidemics, a contingency plan and an emergency stock of essential medicines and medical and logistical equipment.