The January 12, 2010 earthquake was the most powerful to strike Haiti in 200 years. It killed more than 220,000 people, injured approximately 300,000, and displaced more than one million Haitians. Two hundred staff from the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP per its acronym in French) lost their lives when the buildings collapsed. Adding to the devastation, on October 15, 2010, the first cases of cholera were reported in Haiti, marking the first time a cholera epidemic had reached the island in over 100 years.
Lessons learned from the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 led to important initiatives such as the activation of the Emergency Medical Teams (EMT).
Activities carried out
In the aftermath of the earthquake which struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, PAHO/WHO responded immediately and was operational within three days. Critical information was gathered through the PAHO/WHO Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This facilitated the coordination of logistics and humanitarian aid efforts.
The approaching rainy season, internal conflicts, and demonstrations due to the presidential elections, as well as the phasing out of NGO activities all, required heightened attention from national health authorities and health partners, especially those involved in disease surveillance.
PROMESS, the National Center for the Supply of Essential Medicines managed by PAHO/WHO, located near the Port- au-Prince airport played a key role in the timely distribution of medical supplies and essential medicines throughout the recovery period.
PAHO/WHO experts in disabilities helped plan for the short- and longer-term needs of people who had undergone amputations and who required intensive wound care and rehabilitative services.
Preparation for the rain season during the earthquake aftermath
Making sure everyone had some form of shelter- and improving sanitation and hygiene were top priorities before the rainy season arrived, to prevent the increase of epidemic outbreaks of water-borne and other diseases.
PAHO/WHO helped to coordinate the delivery of water to affected communities and health facilities and is monitoring water quality in collaboration with the Direction Nationale pour l'Eau Potable et l'Assainissement (DINEPA). About 50 water tankers were set to provide water to healthcare settings and to the affected population.
Other activities carried out in the aftermath of the earthquake include:
- Making essential medicines and supplies available
- Ensuring surveillance and response to communicable diseases outbreaks
- Reactivating basic health services
- Coordination, assessment, disaster risk reduction
- Environmental health
- Supporting the Dominican Republic's health response to Haitians
- Post-earthquake rehabilitation
- Control of vaccine-preventable diseases
- Reactivating specialized health care in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area
PAHO/WHO’s sustained support to national authorities in the Ministry of Public Health and Population as well as its leadership role in the coordination of efforts with different partners and stakeholders in the health sector of Haiti, including with the Interamerican and United Nations systems.
From the beginning of 2010 until April 2011, PAHO/WHO mobilized over US$ 22 million to address pressing health issues following the earthquake, and another US$ 16 million to address the cholera epidemic. PAHO/WHO also mobilized more than US$ 35 million for its regular technical cooperation programs in the country.
Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) initiative
The publication of Haiti´s learned lessons for future responses demonstrated the need to develop principles, criteria, and standards for medical teams that respond to emergencies and disasters, in line with global processes to improve humanitarian guidelines and standards.
In this context, a meeting of experts was held to, among others, streamline the request, acceptance, and coordination processes for international medical teams to improve the speed of response and efficiency in deployment. The group of experts prepared a report of the meeting, which is the basis of the initiative known today as "Emergency Medical Teams.
Cholera epidemic and the early warning system
PAHO/WHO ́s technical cooperation program was reoriented to respond to the new demands and the immediate threat presented by the cholera epidemic. The contribution of the alert-response component, introduced and systemized during the cholera outbreak, has proven to be extremely valuable in ensuring a functional early warning system for cholera and other public health events. Most NGOs and health facilities participated in this alert and response system and over 300 alerts were received within the first two months of its implementation.