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Haiti

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Creating jobs in Haiti

This article I read is called, "Creating Jobs in Haiti." The title stood out to me because this past summer when I traveled to Haiti, I helped teach nursing students English. They wanted to become specialized nurses and had to pass a test in English in order to become this. All the women that I helped teach had incredible learning skills and picked up on English easily. I hope that all of them passed the test to become specialized nurses. The Haitian government has made creating jobs one of its top priorities. I think that this is important because many Haitians are struggling to make a living and are angry with the lack of job opportunities.

The link to the article I read is http://find.galegroup.com/gic/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DateDescend&tabID=T006&prodId=GIC&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchId=R2&searchType=&currentPosition=6&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2CUS%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28PI%2CNone%2C5%29C0069%24&userGroupName=mlin_m_brookhs&inPS=true&docId=A295967446&contentSet=IAC-Documents&docId=A295967446&docType=IAC

Half a helping Hand article

I read an article from Global Issue in context called "Half a helping hand." This article used the word "hardscrabble" to describe life in Haiti. This article talks about how Haiti is becoming an afterthought because many donors are done contributing to Haiti and are unhappy with the progress in Haiti. I disagree, I think that the situation in Haiti has improved and that there are still people eager to help, like me.

http://find.galegroup.com/gic/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DateDescend&docType=IAC&tabID=T006&prodId=GIC&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchId=R1&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=3&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2CUS%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28PI%2CNone%2C5%29C0069%24&inPS=true&userGroupName=mlin_m_brookhs&docId=CJ299453781&contentSet=IAC-Documents&docId=CJ299453781&docType=IAC

New York Times article

I read an article from the New York Times called, "Haiti's unnatural disaster." This article talks about the tropical storm in Haiti that was threatening in August, 2012. This storm caused many people to lose their homes that were rebuilt after the earthquake in 2010. The situation in Haiti is sad because despite efforts to rebuilt and reconstruct, there are still thousands of people who are homeless. This article also talks about how money is being invested in Haiti to buy homes and provide food for Haitians.

http://find.galegroup.com/gic/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DateDescend&docType=IAC&tabID=T006&prodId=GIC&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchId=R2&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=2&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2CUS%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28PI%2CNone%2C5%29C0069%24&inPS=true&userGroupName=mlin_m_brookhs&docId=A300589228&contentSet=IAC-Documents&docId=A300589228&docType=IAC

Boston University helps Haiti

This website talks about how help is needed in Haiti. It comes from the Boston University website. I watched the video about partners in Haiti and it caught me attention by saying Haiti needs my support. I agree with this statement, I think that Haiti needs more support, supplies, and medical assistance. I learned a new fact when reading this website: An estimated 250,000 citizens were killed and many more injured.

http://www.bu.edu/haitihelp/

Give Haiti Hope

This blog is about a program called the Haiti Outreach program and their efforts. This program helps provide food, clothing, housing, education, and healthcare to Haitians. I found this blog interesting because there are pictures of their efforts in Haiti and it also talks about upcoming fundraisers. This program has helped Haiti since 1999. I want to make a difference and maybe will contact this foundation. Visit http://www.thehaitiblog.org/ to learn more!
The article I read is from the Tufts University website. The article talked about seven students who were traveling to Haiti during the summer of 2012. They stayed at a compound in Milot Haiti. Each student had a different project that they focused on. I found this article interesting because I met each of these students when I went to Haiti. I interacted with the students when they were working on their projects. The projects were successful in collecting data and

Post about rollings in Haiti

I read a blog called Rollings in Haiti. This blog has a lot of posts about what is happening in Haiti and projects that are being worked on. The post I read was about diapers. A lot of people can not afford diapers in Haiti and the author of the blog talked about how a lot of cloth diapers are now being used. These diapers are better because they can be reused and are cheaper. I found this post interesting because I had never thought about the issue of diapers in Haiti before I read it.

Helping Haiti Heal blog post

This blog talks about a medical student who traveled to Haiti during the summer of 2012. I went to Haiti with this medical student and went with him and the other students to perform their projects in different villages. I found his blog interesting to read. In his post he talks about how we is excited to travel to Haiti. The project he worked on in Haiti was hypertension screening. He also talks about the roles of the people he traveled to Haiti with.

read Pwoje Espwa- Hope in Haiti blog

The blog I read is called Hope In Haiti. I liked reading parts of this blog because it talks about a foundation that was started in Southern Haiti called Free the Kids. This foundation helps orphans who are living on the streets of Haiti by placing them in homes. From reading this blog I now know about another foundation in Haiti and maybe will donate money there. I liked how this blog had a lot of photos and shows the current projects they are working on. For example, the blogger shows pictures of current homes that are being built for some children and families.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Interview


I interviewed a Tufts Medical Student about the issue in Haiti because she has recently traveled to Haiti and first hand experienced and treated patients affected by the Cholera Epidemic. This is our interview-

Do you think that this Cholera outbreak will end anytime soon, or do you think it is going to keep spreading?
Unfortunately I don't think that Cholera will end anytime soon. I think that we will continue to see a residual amount of Cholera in Haiti for at least the next 10-20 years. There will be times when morbidity and mortality (illness and death) are high due to the natural disease which is associated with fluctuating outbreaks.  There will also be times when the disease is relatively silent, hiding out in the more rural communities that lack basic medical care and the capability of diagnosing the condition as cholera.  Additionally, I think that the Domincan Republic will soon see their first case of Cholera and will similarly be affected by the disease. Hispaniola is a relatively small island with limited isolation between the two countries, both of whom suffer from a similar breakdown of public health infrastructure that allows for the spread of cholera in the first place. 

Why is this disease so hard to stop? Why do you think it spread to Haiti in the first place?

Cholera is transmitted via fecal oral route, meaning ingesting stool particles from a person who is sick with cholera. The disease is relatively easy to treat in resource rich health care settings. The most important treatment is rehydration of the patient who is sick and can be losing up to 15 liters of fluid a day. I attached a photo of a cholera patient surrounded by bottles of waters showing how much hydration is needed to keep the patients alive. You can imagine how tough it is to provide this much fluid in resource poor settings like Haiti.
(this is the picture that is being talked about above)

Cholera is easily controlled in countries that regulate sewage disposal and provide access to clean water. Sick individuals who use rivers and streams to go to the bathroom contaminate the water that is often used by others in the village for drinking, cooking, and washing. This is one way cholera is transmitted from one host to many others. Vibrio cholerae, or the cholera bacteria making people sick, is killed by chlorinating water sources. Therefore the solution to eradicating the spread of this disease- clean water sources- is not a novel one specific to cholera. Establishing public health infrastructure to provide sanitation efforts would significantly decrease the spread of cholera, as well as many other infectious diseases endemic to Haiti. 

I attached two photos.... one with a few cots leaning up against the tree. You can talk about how these are the typical cholera cots with a hole cut out of them where a bucket is placed underneath to collect stool and measure fluid loss. The second photo is one of myself with some Haitian nurses and doctors working in the cholera isolation unit. As I mentioned cholera is fecal oral transmission route, however you see these workers covered head to toe with bacteria as though it were an airborne infectious disease. This highlights the great deal of fear in the Haitian community, even amongst educated healthcare workers, about contracting the disease. 


(This is sally Greenwald who i interviewed)
(This is a picture of the cots leaning against the tree.)

Do you think it would be too chaotic and dangerous to travel there? 

I think that care needs to be taken whenever you travel to a developing country in which you have less government regulations on criminal behavior. I have been to Haiti 7 times over the last three years and have always felt safe and respected by the Haitian people.

Once someone has symptoms of Cholera, how can they be treated?
Basically a rehydration- IV serum if the patient can't keep up with oral rehydration. For very sick patients antibiotics such as Doxycycline can be used, but again the focus is on rehydrating the patient.

Monday, November 29, 2010

photo of child with cholera

Be sure to go to my pictures and look at my new photo that i posted of a young girl who has cholera! Just in case you cant find the photo, i posted it below
respond with comments as to what you think about the photo


























This young girl looks to be younger and she also looks like she is scared. It makes me feel sad to see these young kids who are affected with this disease, but it makes me happy that they are receiving treatment. I wish that this girl had a smile on her face and that she did not have to get this disease in the first place!

cholera new reported on november 29

It is reported that the Cholera epidemic has gotten a lot worse and is affecting and harming more and more people as time goes by.

this is an article that was posted today about the situation:


"The number of deaths from the cholera epidemic afflicting Haiti since mid-October has risen to 1,721, health officials said Monday.
In all, 75,888 people have been attended for the fatal disease, of whom 33,485 were hospitalized, though 32,283 of them recovered and were sent home.
Cholera, which was eradicated in the impoverished Caribbean nation until it appeared last month, has killed 760 people in the northern province of Artibonite, the hardest hit by the scourge.
Following that province is Nord, with 290 deaths, Ouest with 285 including 162 in the Haitian capital, Plateau Central with 177, and Nord-Ouest province with 164 fatalities.
Port-au-Prince remains dotted with camps holding some of the hundreds of thousands of people left homeless by a Jan. 12 earthquake blamed for more than 200,000 deaths.
Only one of Haiti's 10 provinces, Nippes, has not had a single cholera death.
The origin of the epidemic remains unknown, although, according to examinations performed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it has been caused by a strain that is found in southern Asia.
Some Haitians accuse Nepalese troops with U.N. Stabilization Mission for Haiti, or Minustah, of being the origin of the epidemic and have related the outbreak of the disease with the dumping of human waste near a tributary of the Artibonite River."
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2010/11/29/number-haiti-dead-cholera-rises/


This is really scary to hear about the number of people who are hurt! 
33,485 people have been hospitalized and some of these people were treated. It is good to hear that people from the United States and other places are going into Haiti, risking their own health, to help people cure this disease.
One of my dads medical students who i went to Haiti with in April, just left for Haiti two days ago to help people with this situation. When she comes back i am going to meet with her for lunch to talk about what she saw, who she helped, and if the living conditions and poverty have gotten better from the last time i went to Haiti. I will write on the blog what i hear from her when she comes back!

Monday, November 15, 2010

fundraising ideas

So i was thinking about fundraisers that i could do with the help of my friends and class mates and although a bake sale would be a good idea, i was thinking maybe to sell these lollipops instead.
http://www.ozarkdelight.com/fundraising.asp
^visit the link above to look at them.

maybe i would at first buy the smaller pack that gave 120 lollipops for $39.00. I could do this and see how successful this went. I could sell each of the lollipops for $1.00 each and hopefully make 120 dollars. I also would need help selling them if anyone is interested.

Let me know if you think this is a good idea or have any other ideas as to how to raise money for the Cholera epidemic that is spreading around Haiti. Also give me other ideas because 120 dollars can help some, but can not help a lot of people.

recent cholera news

Hospitals in Haiti have experienced overcrowding because the Cholera epidemic has continued to spread. Of of November 12 more then 917 people have died from this disease and at least 14,600 people have been hospitalized in Haiti. Aid workers who are helping this situation in Haiti fear that the increase in people with this disease, the more overwhelmed Haiti's health care facilities will be. Hospital manager, Francoise Gyrone told The Associated Press, "In this hospital, because of space constraints, we have to make sure that people can be sent to another place where we can provide better care very fast, so that we can still receive patients." 


To help this situation Haitian President Rene Preval had brought a number of speakers in a sunday meeting to strive for citizens to practice good hygiene and proper cooking methods. But this teaching might not help all citizens because many are still homeless and unable to access clean water or reliable sanitation because of the earthquake. 


When people went around trying to teach Haitians about hygiene many of them say, "Let me have soap, I can't afford it." 
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/11/14/aid-workers-fear-cholera-epidemic-overwhelm-haitian-hospitals/



Thursday, November 11, 2010

video on cholera

These blog post are going to be about this video so those who read my blog can to go the website below and watch the first video that comes up. This video is about a new caster talking to a doctor who is in Haiti currently. This doctor is talking about the disease.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20101109/cholera-reaches-haiti-capital-101109/

My response to the photos is in video is very sad and sympathetic because most of the children, woman, and men are hooked up to an lying on a bench or on the ground. The part that startled me the most was the woman who was on the ground who looked to be in a lot of pain. I think that she came up twice in this video. Also when this woman got water she only had a little glass which was also sad to see. In general this whole video was sad to watch. After everything that Haiti has gone through with the earthquake and a recent hurricane, it must be so hard for the Haitians who are infected or at risk of getting this disease.

I added this photo because it was on the same website as the video and it really shows how much pain this woman looks to be in. It is disturbing to see it and it makes me want to help. Maybe i could do a fund raiser with other people to raise money to help patients like this woman. The cost of all the medicine and water needed to help these patients must be a lot of money!

Maybe someone has an idea on what to do to raise money? if you have any suggestions comment them

why Americans should care about this issue of cholera in Haiti

I was browsing recent articles on Haiti and all them had titles that were talking about Cholera. One of them caught my eye. It sad to read and hear about it. It was written by Mark Leon Goldberg. Title is "Why Americans should care deeply about Cholera in Haiti." This article says:


Dr. Jon K. Andrus, Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization, gave a press briefing yesterday on the cholera epidemic in Haiti. It is among the scariest things I have read so far about the cholera outbreak. So far, there have been nearly 600 reported deaths and over 8,000 people have been hospitalized. But that is only the figures that have been officially reported. Chances are, the real infection rates are higher.   The epidemic has now firmly spread to Port au Prince, where Andrus said  conditions are “very ripe for rapid spread of cholera.” And Cholera will not go away anytime soon. In fact it will be around for years, and likely spread. Even, to North America. “We have to prepare for a large upsurge in cases,” Andrus said. “We have to be prepared with all the resources that are needed for a rapid response.” The last cholera epidemic in the Western Hemisphere began in Peru in 1991 and spread to some 16 other countries, from Argentina to Canada. In Peru alone, the epidemic produced more than 650,000 cases over six years. Adjusting for population size, a similar pattern would produce upwards of 270,000 cases in Haiti, Andrus said. This is going to get much worse before it gets better.  There are large Haitian diaspora populations in major cities like Miami, New York, Boston and Montreal so it is in all Americans’ interest to keep this contained–not to mention the interest of the millions of Haitians now living under threat of cholera.
http://www.undispatch.com/why-americans-should-care-deeply-about-cholera-in-haiti
After reading this article i realized how serious this disease this is and how so many people are harmed to us. I don't know if it would actually end up spreading to the United States, but it could. I am glad to hear that many people are going to Haiti and helping out with this condition. But i wonder if it would be harmful to those who go to Haiti, if they could end up coming back with the disease?
Give me your feedback on this article! thanks 

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Cholera epidemic in Haiti

Reported on november 10, 2010:

"At least 73 cholera cases have been confirmed in Haiti's capital, increasing fears that the disease may run amok among people living in shantytowns and tent camps.
But doctors say nearly all those cases involve people who were infected outside Port-au-Prince. Still, the presence of cholera in the capital is worrisome because the shabby conditions following January's earthquake and the recent Hurricane Tomas (toh-MAHS') are conducive for spreading it.
So far, more than 580 people have died from cholera in Haiti. More than 9,500 others are hospitalized with confirmed cases. A confirmed case of the disease had never been seen in Haiti before last month.
Haiti's health ministry says cholera has become a threat to the entire nation of 10 million people."

From reading this report on Cholera in Haiti and I worried that it  is going to keep spreading and spreading. Recently in Haiti there was Hurricane Tomas and this made the spread of Cholera even worse. This is because this hurricane resulted in people loosing homes and living on the streets. Living on the streets is unsanitary and so therefore Cholera is spread easier. Haiti has also had a lack of clean water. This is a down affect because one of the affects of Cholera is extreme dehydration. Those who are infected may not be able to buy or receive the water needed to cure this infection. 

Another Article updated on November 10, 2010 at 9:24 AM stated that Cholera has now spread to the capital and now another 3 million people are at risk or have this disease in Haiti. This disease just recently spread to the capital port-au-prince. The capital of Haiti has many people who are homeless and Cholera is extremely contagious. 






Cholera facts

What is Cholera? Cholera is a serious disease that is infectious and is caused by Vibrio Cholerae bacteria. It affects the intestinal system of the body. Someone who is infected with this disease experiences severe vomiting, diarrhea, and severe dehydration.

Result of Cholera: Without medical treatment, people infected with Cholera can result in death within four to twelve hours after the symptoms begin.

How is it spread? Cholera is contagious and is spread through human contact. Some people are infected by Cholera by eating undercooked meat and shellfish.

Treatment: Cholera can be treated with fluids and antibiotics. In some poorer areas, where antibiotics are not available for everyone, a mixture of water and glucose for dehydration is helpful. Cholera can sometimes resolve itself after a period of time.

Dangers of Cholera? The dangers of Cholera are that it spreads easily among a group of people. This is because people experience human contact on a day to day basis. Another danger is that Cholera causes extreme dehydration and in areas where water is not a surplus liquid, many people can not get enough and die.

Where is this disease common? Cholera is common in unsanitary living conditions because of the poverty and lack of resources, like water. Cholera is not common in developed countries because of the medical treatment that is available, regulated health standards, clean/sanitary water, and the fact that developed countries have effective sewage systems.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cholera.htm

The reason as to why  i am talking about Cholera is because this disease has come to Haiti and is spreading among a lot of the population there.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

topic suggestions?

So as people from my english class know, we have to write an insight paper and i don't exactly know what i would like to write about.. Does anyone maybe have any suggestions of what would be interesting to hear about? I want to have a topic that i can create an argument for and also that i can research a little bit.

I was thinking maybe to talk about why sports brought together the people from Haiti. Like for example, when i went, some workers and boys were kicking the soccer ball back and forth in a circle laughing and smiling. They were showing off their amazing soccer skills. I joined in with them and it was really fun. I could also talk about how the soccer field that they had there had to be used for helocopters to land in, and when doctors stopped using the field to fly in patients, the people were happy and did not need to play soccer on the rocks and uneven surfaces anymore.

Or i could maybe try to get in contact with one specific person from Haiti and talk with them to see if any of the living have improved, but they may be a lot harder to research

let me know if you guys like any of my topics or have any suggestions. Thanks!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

cupids shuffle

I added this video to show that the children of Haiti know and do some of the same things that I personally do. In this video the kids are doing a dance to cupids shuffle, a dance. A link to this dance is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h24_zoqu4_Q&ob=av2e

The kids there might have learned this dance from people who came to help out in Haiti, or they may have known this dance. But i thought that it was cool that they could perform this dance because i personally love this dance. I used to always do it at bar/bat mitzvahs or dance parties. I also thought it was cool how one of the girls, Fiana, was doing the dance without a leg. This was really cool to see because she could hold all her support on her one leg and still do this dance. Fiana and her friends were also really happy performing this dance.

One of the doctors in Haiti had told me that the week before i had arrived in Haiti, there was a dance party for all the children. I wish that i could have been there for this because it would have been fun to watch and dance with the people there. When the doctor told me this, i thought maybe the kids had learned this dance and the words at that dance party that they had. If I ever have a chance to go back to Haiti, i want to set up a dance party like this maybe at the hospital again.

miracles in Haiti

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygt3sHpsKms&feature=player_embedded

This is a video that i also found on the hospital web site. It was made to show why people why they should donate money to Haiti or do some sort of community service for Haiti. 

I thought that is video showed really amazing photographs and i also thought that it captures many moments. I want to maybe start a club at Brookline High School to raise money for Haiti and also to learn more about the current situations in Haiti. If there is currently a Haiti club at the high school maybe i will even join that club. There are still a lot of things that still need to be worked on in Haiti. For example, many kids are homeless and are not receiving an education. Also many people are starving everyday. I wish that I could do something about this. 

I would encourage those who look at my blog to look at the link for the video because it is really amazing. While watching, also pay attention to the words on the photographs. When watching this video I was really happy to see some of the people who I helped when i went to Haiti. One of my favorite images in this video is at 1:50. At this part, the girl is so happy and has a beautiful smile. I also like the caption that says "joyful" that is shown with this image. It makes me both happy and sad to see this video. Tell me what you think of the video and if you liked it!

Visit http://www.crudem.org/

I was curious as to who made the magazine that i have talked about in my past two posts so i searched "Hospital Sacre Coeur" on google. When i did this i was happy to see a link to a website called CRUDEM home. So i clicked on the link and it brought me to this website:
http://www.crudem.org/

From there i clicked on a button that said news so i could read about what was currently happening in Haiti. There was an article called "Moving forward" added on July 25, 2010 that i read through. This article read:



 "Six months ago Hôpital Sacré Coeur had grown to 420 beds and had just moved the patients from the local schools which had been converted into hospital wards to the hospital tents in preparation for the reopening of the schools for the students. We had almost 100 volunteers a week and were still accepting patients from PAP who required definitive surgery for their injuries. We were so busy trying to obtain supplies, care for the patients, and feed the patients and their families that we couldn’t plan beyond the next day. 
As the weeks turned into months we were amazed that we still had 100 volunteers a week and continued to care for 400 patients and their families. Thanks to the generosity of many individual donors and organizations we were able to find the resources we needed. Our volunteers and staff continued to perform miracles each day and the reputation of Hôpital Sacré Coeur spread throughout Haiti.
 At our last board meeting in June we decided that Hôpital Sacré Coeur  needed to remain at 120 beds and that we could support that doubling of our size. Now we had to plan the renovation and expansion necessary to accommodate that growth. This expansion will not only include an increase in our bed capacity but also a permanent increase in our operating rooms to 3, new delivery rooms, expanded lab, new outpatient clinic space, and a new supply depot with a bar code system to track supplies throughout the hospital.
  Our fully equipped prosthetic lab was delivered in May and we have fit 26 patients with artificial limbs. There are another 50 waiting. To fulfill our mission of training Haitians to care for themselves we have been training local Haitian staff to become prosthetists. We have prosthetists rotating to our hospital each week to work and to teach. Since a large number of the amputees are children they will require refitting over the years as they grow. We will be able to help them thanks to our training program.
 The current census at the hospital is 147 with 74 patients from the earthquake and 73 local patients. We are allowed to remain in the tents until February 2011 so we need to create permanent bed space over the next 6 months to allow us to permanently house 120 patients. Your support has helped us deal with the unexpected challenges of the earthquake and will enable us to continue to provide the needed care to the people of Haiti. Thank you for all of your support and prayers."
After reading this article, even though it was posted a couple of months ago, i was overcome with joy to hear how much better the conditions in Haiti have gotten. The hospital has seemed to be fixed up a lot and be able to fit more injured Haitians. This was also able to happen thanks to the many people who have volunteered in Haiti and the people who have donated to Haiti. 
Below the article that i read were many more articles that seem really interesting to read. One talks about how girl scouts raised money for Haiti and another one talks about sponsoring a leg. For those who are reading my blog, I would recommend visiting the website and watching some of the videos and reading some of the articles that are posted. For me at least, it is really fascinating to hear about the progress that is going on it Haiti!