Konbit Sante Annual Campaign Targets Four Major Health Challenges in Northern Haiti

 

Konbit Sante officially began its annual fundraising campaign in November. The campaign targets four major areas Konbit Sante seeks to address during the coming year.

• Reducing Maternal Mortality. Haiti has the highest maternal mortality ratio in the western hemisphere with women facing a 1 in 16 lifetime chance of dying in childbirth, compared to 1 in 30,000 here. Our goal is to reduce maternal mortality by bringing more high-risk deliveries to the hospital and preparing the hospital to provide fast, effective care when women get there.
• Improving Surgery and Emergency Medicine. Although Justinian Hospital is the largest trauma center in northern Haiti, both surgery and emergency medicine lack sufficient space, equipment,supplies, water, electricity, and staff. A team of U.S.-based emergency medicine physicians is developing a plan to improve these two resource-poor areas of the hospital.
• Delivering Clean Water at Justinian Hospital. At Justinian Hospital, doctors and nurses do not have enough water to wash hands between patients, and patients and families have no access to clean water. We are well into the first phase of this critical project, and will pursue plans to drill an additional well and improve the distribution system within the Justinian hospital campus.
• Reaching into the Community for Prevention and Treatment. Two years ago Konbit Sante hired its first two agents sante (community health workers) to do TB outreach and health education. Each of these workers costs the equivalent of US $2,500/year. We now support six agents sante and hope to expand the number to 20 or more over the next few years.

"While we receive grant funding for several specific projects, our core programs are supported by the generous donations from individuals and organizations," according to Konbit Sante executive director, Nate Nickerson. "This core funding allows us to leverage a great deal of additional resource in the form of in-kind donations, grants, and invaluable volunteer efforts."

Konbit Sante is now able to accept online donations (www.konbitsante.org or www.healthyhaiti.org).

Best holiday wishes from all of us at Konbit Sante!