HAITI

Political Crisis Impairs Children’s Immunization Program

Each year in Haiti children suffer needlessly from diseases that are preventable, yet routine immunization programs are available. Plans have been in place for a spring 2004 country-wide vaccination program to reach 280,000 children to protect them from tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, measles and polio.

Some of these vaccines are currently available for shipment, but the Haitian political crisis and resulting turbulence has had a dire impact on the health system infrastructure and the ability of the health system to carry out its program of immunization.

Damage to roads makes it difficult to reach health centers in the urban and rural communities, and the interruption of clinic services and scattering of personnel has prevented health workers from reaching central supply warehouses. Delivery of materials and transportation of health workers will require 4X4, all terrain vehicles.

Additionally, professional expertise will be needed to recruit and train national workers to inoculate the population, maintain records, and analyze coverage rates to assure threshold levels are achieved in order to limit transmission of disease within the community.

Supplies are short everywhere. Vandals have stolen propane tanks, solar panels and the refrigerator units used to store the vaccines and maintain the constant temperature (2 - 8 degrees C) necessary for their preservation. Breaking of the cold chain has destroyed much of the vaccine stock in country and inhibits the shipment of new vaccines.

The NEED:

Additional NEEDS:

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