Conflict and poverty create a deadly mix on the island of Hispaniola, shared with the Dominican Republic.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (June 1, 2007) - With a generous donation of US$10,000 from the Community of Christ, Counterpart International procured more than a million dollars worth of pharmaceuticals in partnership with Medicines for Humanity and airlifted them to Haiti for use in clinics run by the United Nations and Doctors Without Borders.
"The pharmaceuticals will benefit about 9,200 of Haiti's most vulnerable, particularly women and children, through an outreach effort by international aid organizations and local clinics," said Dr. Thoric Cederström, Counterpart's Vice President of Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture.
As the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, Haiti faces significant health challenges. Socio-political conflict in Haiti also has made it extremely difficult for medical supplies to be safely delivered to hospitals and clinics. Patients often remain untreated as pharmaceutical resources are exhausted and additional supplies do not arrive.
As violence persists, the current United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) is working to maintain civil order in the streets and to treat the sick in hospitals and clinics. Thanks to the airlift, Counterpart and UN medical workers will alleviate the stress on medical supplies in Haiti's resource-poor medical facilities.
Building on relationships developed through Counterpart's school feeding program in Senegal, West Africa, Counterpart's shipment was processed by its Community and Humanitarian Assistance Programs (CHAP), and was received and managed by the Senegalese MINUSTAH contingent.
The Senegalese peacekeeping contingent in Haiti has provided more than 30 free medical consultations a day since August 2005. Over the last year, they have seen more than 4,000 patients at their clinic, the majority of whom have been women and children.
A MINUSTAH regional clinic in Martissant recently held a 'free clinic day' using the pharmaceuticals to treat needy people in the area. In one day, the clinic received 234 women, 65 boys, and 57 girls for easily treatable but otherwise life-threatening infections.
To expand the reach of the project, the pharmaceuticals were distributed to Martissant; a clinic run by Doctors Without Borders; the 'Pétionville Civil' (a prison for female youth); a juvenile delinquency center; and additional UN clinics.
Since 1965, Counterpart has given people a voice in their own future through smart partnerships, offering options and access to tools for sustained social, economic and environmental development. Operating on five continents, Counterpart is supported by the generosity of its corporate and individual donors, foundations, host countries, multilateral institutions and several U.S. government agencies. For further information, visit www.counterpart.org.