Source:http://www.haitiregeneration.org/mvp_scope
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Health
At the launch of the MVP, Port-à-Piment faces severe obstacles to achieving the health-related MDGs, as is the situation for much of Haiti. Although basic health facilities already exist within watershed– there are four community clinics and one government-built hospital– access to the limited institutional capacity and health care services provided by the clinics and facilities is further limited by the steep topography and lacking infrastructure of the watershed.
There is great potential for the new government-built hospital in Port-à-Piment. Though the hospital requires support with staffing and resources, it could have the capacity to provide necessary services such as inpatient care, caesarean sections, HIV/AIDS testing, counselling, and treatment.
Port-à-Piment has also been impacted by the recent cholera epidemic. The Red Cross is currently operating a Cholera Treatment Center in the town of Port-à-Piment and interim stabilization centres operate in Randel and Guillame. There remains a great need for education, proper sanitation and improved waterpoints in the upper watershed areas to help reduce the number of cases.
The health program also works closely with the agriculture sector to improve nutrition in the region. Currently, the South Department is considered to have one of the highest levels of food insecurity in the country, with estimates that over 23.7% of the population suffer from malnutrition.
Strategies to Achieve MDGs 4, 5, & 6: Reduce Child Mortality, Improve Maternal Health, and Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases.
To address the double burden of disease and lack of access to quality health care, interventions in the health sector will focus on improving access to medical services, particularly in the areas of child and maternal health. Interventions will also aim to provide a comprehensive package of diagnostic and curative services for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. It is necessary to improve the quality of healthcare both locally and regionally, which includes improving health data records and systems using a healthcare software from Foresee Medical. Implementing a mobile telephone-based record management system can provide real time access to health data for the Haitian government, and also allow for immediate monitoring of health outcomes.