Pan American Health Organization - Organizaci?n Panamericana de la Salud - Situation Report on Haiti - January 31, 2010 (edited)

[Giuseppe]

Pan American Health Organization - Organizaci?n Panamericana de la Salud - Situation Report on Haiti - January 31, 2010 (edited)

Situation Report on Haiti - January 31, 2010

Emergency Operations Center Situation Report #17 - Haiti Earthquake


GENERAL OVERVIEW

• The Government of Haiti estimates the number of deaths to be over 112,000 with 196,000 people injured. Around 700,000 people are living in temporary shelter sites in the capital city.
• The Government of Haiti has received over 200,000 requests for family-sized tents, but only a portion of the number needed are in the country. Efforts are now being focused to help people with shelter where they are currently located to reduce further displacement.
• The World Food Programme, in coordination with the Haitian Government, MINUSTAH, the US Military and key NGOs, ramped up operations in Haiti by opening 16 fixed food distribution sites. Starting today, these sites will provide supplies to over 2 million people over a two-week period.

PAHO/WHO RESPONSE

• PROMESS, the PAHO/WHO-managed pharmaceutical warehouse for the Ministry of Health and a long time supplier of medicines and related supplies to health facilities throughout Haiti, was virtually the only source of drugs and medical supplies in the country after the earthquake. There was a dramatic increase in demand from established health facilities and temporary field hospitals, and currently, around 250 types of medicines are being provided to more than 30 institutions.
• PAHO/WHO, with help from the U.S. Government, has a team of pharmacists and medical logisticians working on receiving goods, sorting them, checking expiration dates and getting them onto the shelves in PROMESS. In addition, the operations require security for the compound and logistic support for transporting drugs and fuel to health facilities. The United States, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and Queen Sofia Foundation, Chile, Taiwan and the Clinton Foundation, among others, have provided medicines and supplies.
• The Ministry of Health, with support from PAHO/WHO, CDC/Atlanta, Cuban Brigade and USI/ACDI, activated the epidemiological situation room in Haiti. Surveillance of communicable diseases as well as response efforts to control certain diseases is ongoing.
• Dominican Republic and border region
  • The Ministry of Health of the Dominican Republic continues to strengthen the capacity in Fond Parisien as a center for post-surgical care. The number of patients requiring post-operative care in Love A Child is increasing, and a new health team from the Ministry of Health of Ecuador arrived there to provide needed support and strengthen health services.
  • In order to accommodate families of patients in Fond Parisien or patients discharged from hospitals in the Dominican Republic, the American Refugee Committee is managing a temporary camp.
  • The establishment of early rehabilitation services in Fond Parisien, Buen Samaritano Hospital and Hospital Melenciano is urgently needed.
• PAHO/WHO has prepared a list of manuals, technical guidelines, and web pages from various sources for people working in the response to the earthquake in Haiti. Topics include areas such as:
  • Health services and hospitals
  • Blood safety
  • Child health in emergencies,
  • Management of dead bodies
  • Environmental health in emergencies
  • Traveler's health
  • To see the full list click here; or go to http://bit.ly/amunaT

Read today?s Haiti Health Cluster Bulletin #12 at (LINK)
The information in this report is a summary of current issues.

For further information on the overall situation in Haiti, please go to (LINK) and http://twitter.com/pahoeoc
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<cite cite="http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2413&Ite mid=1926">Pan American Health Organization - Organizaci?n Panamericana de la Salud - Situation Report on Haiti - January 31, 2010</cite>