HAITI

The Earthquake

As everyone knows, a disastrous earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 resulting in one of the most severe natural disasters ever to strike in the Western Hemisphere. It has been estimated that some 3 million people have been affected, including approximately 230,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries. Over 1 million Haitians became homeless through the quake which ripped through most of the city of Port-au-Prince and wreaked devastation to other population centers such as Leogane, Jacmel and Les Cayes. Many of those injured, as shown and discussed in many news articles and television reports suffered amputations and other severe orthopedic disorders.

Country Background

Haiti, even before the earthquake, was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Services for persons with disabilities were few and were not responsive to the needs of citizens with disabilities.

Prosthetic and orthotic services in Haiti began with a rehabilitation center in Port-au-Prince, built by WRF and named for Eugene Taylor - an associate of WRF founder Dr. Howard Rusk). WRF assisted a remarkable nun of the Episcopal Church, Sister Joan, who had founded in 1945, the only school for children with disabilities in Haiti-Ecole St. Vincent. The Eugene Taylor Prosthetics and Orthotics Shop was built on the campus of the school and its main technicians until recently were two gentlemen with disabilities who could neither hear or speak. In the 1990s, WRF came to the assistance of the school again, providing a new oven, supplies and materials and technical assistance to upgrade the service capability of the workers there. A third person with disability, a young man who himself was a bilateral amputee, was identified as having the interest and potential to become a technician. He received training in Montreal and Dominican Republic in the early 1990s was the only Haitian trained to be a technician until very recently. WRF again assisted the program at Ecole St. Vincent, through donating funds through collaborating organization Haiti-New Jersey Partners of the Americas, to repair the prosthetics and orthotics space after damage by a hurricane a few years ago.

Hospital Adventiste d’Haiti was built in 1978 in Port-au-Prince with the support of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. It has been receiving support from Loma Linda University in California since 1980, including the provision of orthopedic services. The hospital was not damaged by the earthquake and has become a center for treating those afflicted with orthopedic injuries from the earthquake. A partnership developed by Loma Linda University, Prosthetika, Inc (of San Rafael, CA) and WRF has been formed to develop prosthetic/orthotic services at this facility.

Disaster Needs

Under normal circumstances the need for rehabilitation assistance is greater in Haiti than in most places in the world. Disease, unsafe conditions and poor maternal health care all contribute to a high prevalence of orthopedic disorders. The earthquake has exacerbated the problem by creating a dramatic increase in amputations and orthopedic injuries. For example, it has been frequently reported that many persons trapped in demolished buildings needed to be amputated in order for them to be saved. It is estimated that some 2,500 persons have required amputations as a consequence of the earthquake. Many more individuals in Haiti, who also are amputees, remain unserved because of the paucity of services there. The earthquake badly damaged Ecole St. Vincent and the prosthetics service facility and totally destroyed the only other major prosthetics service provider’s facility as well.

WRF Strategy

Since January, many international organizations have shown interest in helping to alleviate the suffering of Haitians from the earthquake. WRF is engaged in activities to initiate prosthetic services at Adventist Hospital and to help resurrect the services at Ecole St. Vincent. An alliance has been formed between WRF and Haiti-New Jersey Partners of the Americas with regard to the overall approach and WRF also has joined with Prosthetika and Loma Linda University to launch a program at Adventist Hospital. It is expected that services will be able to begin at Adventist Hospital in July and at Ecole St. Vincent by September at the latest. WRF will be helping to manage the program at Adventist Hospital and acquiring materials and equipment for the Ecole St. Vincent effort.

Arrangements will be made to train a core of technicians that will be able to fit amputees and to make and fit braces for those with other disabilities. In doing so, WRF will be working closely with Haitian organizations such as Haiti Partners, Adventist Hospital, Ecole St. Vincent and the Ministry of Health of Haiti, with whom WRF has signed an agreement.