Child Health

Improving Child Survival

Children in Haiti suffer high rates of malnutrition, diarrheal disease and have poor chance of survival beyond the age of five. Sadly children often die from preventable diseases because pervasive poverty prevents families from accessing proper care. Children are often very sick when they arrive at Fort St. Michel Health Center or Justinian Hospital.

Konbit Sante's child health initiatives, to date, have focused on improving inpatient care at the region's largest public teaching hospital, strengthening the pediatric residency program which will develop the next generation of caregivers, and reaching into the community to follow patients after discharge from Justinian's inpatient feeding program. Two Konbit Sante-sponsored pediatricians, Dr. Paul Euclid Toussaint, a neonatologist, and Dr. Rony St. Fleur, lead efforts to teach and improve patient care. Since these two inspirational physicians joined the pediatric department at Justinian Hospital, the reputation of the service has improved considerably and the number of residents interested in pediatrics has likewise increased significantly. Also based at Justinian, pediatric nurse educator, Yvonne Durossier, works at the School of Nursing to improve the quality of training that the future generation of nurses receives.

Pediatric outpatient clinic built by Konbit SanteTo support our Haitian partners, Konbit Sante has completed several infrastructure improvements to the building that houses the pediatric service. We built and equipped a teaching room, an outpatient clinic area, an emergency facility, and installed a pediatric oxygen system. Additionally, we provide on a regular basis, materials and supplies that help the service function effectively. We pay monthly for the oxygen supply and in-patient liquid nutrition, provide an emergency fund that can be used to purchase medicines, and supply many materials and furnishings for a neonatal section within pediatrics. Beyond these material items, there are quality improvement protocols that the team is working on implementing. Konbit Sante's Haitian staff work with colleagues from the U.S. volunteer team to prioritize needs and work on most critical protocols first. As an example, one recent intervention focuses on improving dispensing and administration of medications. A baseline study was done to evaluate the consistency with which medication orders were given to patients, as prescribed. The team then designed a medication chart that is being used to increase this figure, an improvement that will have a positive impact on patient outcomes throughout the unit.

While improving care at the regional referral hospital is certainly important, we at Konbit Sante recognize the need to catch illness and malnutrition before it reaches a critical stage. To reach into the community, two Konbit Sante-supported community health workers follow up with patients released from the inpatient feeding program, and Drs. Toussaint and St. Fleur conduct pediatric clinics one day each week in the Fort St. Michel Health Center. During these clinics they teach the staff as they see patients, to increase the Center's capacity to handle a wider range of childhood illnesses.

Our work in pediatrics is supported by funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the SG Foundation, and individual donors.