In 2008, the Carribean was hit 3 times by a devastating catastrophe. It was the small island of Haiti, the poorest and least developed country of them all which bore the brunt of the terrifying disaster.
Read about MdM's action to help the victims of the crisis.
Why we are taking action
Because of the strong need and weak local healthcare structures' capacity to prepare for and manage catastrophes, MdM UK has decided to launch a Disaster Risk Reduction project in Haiti to help reduce the continuously rising death toll which follows natural disasters.
We will be acting in line with the UN Millenium Development Goals in an area where there is a strong need due to the lack of international NGOs doing health centred Disaster Risk Reduction.
What we will be doing
We aim at reducing the health vulnerability of population in the Grande Anse region by increasing the community's capacity to prepare for and better respond to natural disasters.
Our main points of action are to:
- Mobilise community networks in order to have a community based early warning system; radio campaigns; production of information materials about the prevention of epidemics in emergencies
- Work with WHO and provide training on disease surveillance
- Develop a medical referral system for secondary health care in emergency times
- Deliver first aid training
- Train health personnel on diseases with epidemic potential
- Pre-position essential drugs and medical materials (emergency kits) at accessible locations
- Provide and train on the use of protective gear for medicines and medical equipment
