International Medical Corps in Haiti:
Haiti gained its independence in 1804 after a half a million slaves revolted under Toussaint L’ouverture against the French and, after a prolonged struggle, became the world’s first black republic. Its independence was followed by brutal dictatorships and political turmoil that crippled its development and left most of its people trying to survive on $2 a day. The poorest country in the western hemisphere, only 60 percent of Haitians had access to basic health care, making respiratory infections, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, among the leading causes of death. Haitian women and children also face the highest maternal, infant, and younger-than-five mortality rates in the world.
When the devastating 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti on January 12, 2010 International Medical Corps was on the ground, providing emergency medical care and assistance in less than 24 hours. During the emergency response, International Medical Corps deployed more than 400 medical volunteers to provide lifesaving care to Haitians and support the ER and ICU at Port-au-Prince's General Hospital (HUEH). Since the earthquake, International Medical Corps has gone on to establish a network of primary health care clinics in and around the earthquake-affected areas and launched other programs in mental health, nutrition, child protection, early childhood development, water and sanitation, disaster risk reduction, emergency medicine development, and cholera prevention and response.
International Medical Corps is also one of the main providers of cholera treatment and management in Haiti, bringing lifesaving and life-changing help to communities traumatized by this disease. In addition, we are also running disaster preparedness programs to prepare health care workers for future disasters and emergencies.