If this were a blog about HIV or Malaria, I could write about the advances that we have seen in the past year. Alas, this is just a blog about tuberculosis - a disease as old as humanity that we have not yet been able to tame. One third of the world's population is infected with tuberculosis. Clearly, much more remains to be done for Haiti and for the world.
We often write about the remarkable gains that Haiti has made in halting and reversing HIV/AIDS. It is a story that deserves to be told and heard more often. Haiti's own Partners in Health (PIH) is taking what it has learned in Haiti and using it to make a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. Lesotho may be the biggest challenge the organization has faced yet, but they are clearly up to it. Africa continues to be a source of inspiration and strength to many Haitians but it is not a one sided relationship. Through PIH, Haiti is giving back.
The Maine based Konbit Sante group continues to make a difference in Northern Haiti by investing in the human and physical infrastructure that the Hospital Justinien needs to become the hospital that Cap Haitian deserves. In recognition of their efforts, Konbit Sante was recently awarded a $30,000 grant from the Dorthea Ross Haus Foundation to build a pediatric emergency room at Justinian Hospital. The project, which is expected to take six months to complete, will also help improve water and sanitation in the pediatric facility.
A recent article in the New York Times took a look at two gyms in Port au Prince - a Gold's Gym in the wealthiest suburb of Port au Prince and one of the home-made gyms which are far more common both in the city and the countryside. The homemade gyms are nothing compared to a Gold's Gym - but they are testament to Haitian creativity and possess a sense of camraderie that you will not find at an establishment that caters to the rich. Exercise can be empowering and as Haitian bodybuilder Julien Mr. Spencer puts it, "You can't buy fitness."
The article below (courtesy of bonpabon) announces that the Digicel Haiti Foundation met its goal of building twenty primary schools in its first year of operation. Digicel, as the largest foreign investor in the history of Haiti, prevents a compelling model for others to follow - a socially conscious corporation that provides a much needed product, employs a substantial number of local staff, and funnels some of its its profits into education projects. It makes sense for Digicel who will need educated employees as it grows and it makes sense for Haiti where long term development will depend on education.
A colleague sent me a transcript of Congressional testimony by Dr. Johanna Mendelson Forman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies here in Washington DC. The testimony gives an overview of how a biofuel economy could reduce poverty, promote energy independence, and ultimately contribute to stability in Haiti. A transcript is attached to the blog.
The Hospital Albert Schweitzer (HAS), located in the heart of the Artibonite Valley in the town of Deschapelles, is one of the largest in Haiti. In all, it has a staff of approximately 900 who focus on an integrated approach of providing health care, community health services, and development activities within its catchment area (and often to people from outside the catchment area who travel to HAS for treatment.) The HAS is as indispensable to the Aribonite Valley as the Cange hospital is to the Central Plateau.
The First Lady recently visited Haiti (read: Port au Prince), visting the well known GHESKIO (Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Other Opportunisting Infections) Center as well as a school, education being one of her personal priorities. The last visit by a first lady to Haiti was by Hillary Clinton in 1998. Politics aside, this is a sign of progress. You can more about the visit in the New York Times.
Is water a right, a commodity, or both? Perhaps the better question would be whether clean water is a right - considering that 1 billion people live without access to water that is safe. Water sustains life, but shortages bring about desperation, disease, and conflict all of which fuel poverty. It doesn't have to be this way. World Water Day is coming up and presents a good opportunity for us to redouble our efforts to ensure that even the poorest of the poor have access to enough safe, drinkable water.
Haiti is a beautiful anomaly at the heart of the crossroads formed by Africa, North America, Latin America, and Europe. Michelene Quay, Director of "Eat, This Is My Body", took first prize for at the Miami International Film Festival. She notes that Haiti's very existence confounds the notion of what Latin America is. Above all, Haiti is unique and its art, music, and film reflect this. You can view the trailer here.
