Category Archives: Haiti

An Update From Racha, C2C’s Managing Director

Four-month-old twins and a two-year-old; three children under three sums it up for me. On May 10th of this year, I gave birth to twin girls in the Dominican Republic. YES, the Dominican Republic. This is also where I gave birth to my oldest daughter. Such excitement, joy, and happiness were created from growing my family.

After three months of parental leave, I have returned to my new normal life, home in Haiti, and back at work. Lately, I have been reflecting quite a bit on how fortunate I am to be able to travel 150 miles in the comfort of my air-conditioned SUV, to another country, simply to give birth in a modern health facility. This reality is a luxury in northern Haiti. This is also why I was so looking forward to coming back and continuing the various projects we have going on at C2C so that someday we can make my luxury a norm in Haiti.

Unfortunately, it is easier said than done. Today, the country is currently going through severe civil unrest. The people are frustrated.

Frustrated that there is a constant lack of fuel.

Frustrated that the cost of living is continuously increasing.

Frustrated that some foods have surpassed a 50% increase in price.

Frustrated that the reopening of schools has been delayed until October.

Frustrated that the government is not doing anything to lessen this burden on its people.

For the past two weeks, we have had protests, roadblocks, and barricades all over the country as people demand change and improvement to the current situation. We had to, unfortunately, close some of our clinics for several days due to a lack of security. It is often unsafe for employees and patients to travel to our clinics. We have had to be very vigilant with fuel since there has not been any in the gas stations for weeks. We have had to pay transportation stipends to our employees because they were struggling to afford to come to work due to the high inflation of public transportation prices.

I see and understand the struggle that the vast majority of the population is going through. I agree there needs to be change, but unfortunately, voices are only heard when violence, vandalism, and riots are part of the equation.

I was looking forward to coming back home to Haiti, getting back to work, and being part of a system of change: a system focused on improving health care for the Haitian population. At C2C, we make it an obligation to provide every patient that enters our clinics with the highest quality of care and every person we meet in the community with the resources they need to better their health.

As we pass through this difficult period in Haiti, I am working toward the vision that one day all women will feel secure and comfortable giving birth in Haiti. We will work tirelessly to accomplish getting over 85% of all children fully vaccinated and to reduce the burden of the most common communicable and noncommunicable diseases.

Thank you for supporting C2C’s work no matter what is going on in Haiti.

Without our loyal donors, we would not be able to provide quality care to thousands of people.

With the warmest regards,

Racha Yehia

Managing Director

Urgent News from Haiti: President Moïse assassinated today

Earlier this morning, Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in an attack at his home on the outskirts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, creating a political void that threatens to deepen the instability that has gripped the country for months.

Haiti is in a current state of emergency, with all borders and airports closed for the day, until further notice. To ensure the safety and security of our staff and patients, our clinics are also closed for the day. We will keep you updated as we continue to monitor the situation closely.

We hope for stability and to see a brighter and better future for Haiti!

Our Chief Medical Officer Gives a COVID-19 Update from Haiti:

As of the beginning of May, we have seen a surge in COVID-19 cases throughout Haiti. On May 14, the Ministry of Health announced that the national laboratory discovered two new variants from Brazil and the United Kingdom that have been found in Haiti. Unfortunately, the Haitian population has not been as resistant to the new variants as it seemed to be when COVID-19 first appeared in Haiti in March 2020.

Thankfully, COVID-19 testing is becoming more available and accessible in Haiti. Hospitals have recently been overwhelmed with treating COVID-19 patients, and lack beds and oxygen, which is already not readily available in Haiti. Hospitals are having to turn down patients with less severe cases and sending them home without treatment.

Meanwhile, as cases continue to rise, Haiti’s government issued a state of emergency asking people to practice social distancing. A national curfew has been placed between the hours of 10 pm to 5 am. Social gatherings are banned, and wearing masks in public is now mandatory.

Despite all of these regulations in place, the majority of the population isn’t adhering to them, not due to a lack of desire but a lack of means. On the bright side, the Haitian government has accepted 130,000 AstraZeneca doses through COVAX that will be facilitated by the Pan American Health Organization to arrive in Haiti this month.

In addition to the AstraZeneca vaccine, Haiti’s Ministry of Health and local partners are working together to secure more doses for the country. C2C has been a big proponent of advocating for a one-dose vaccine option like the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for its cost efficiency and lower risk of a dropout rate in comparison to a 2-dose vaccine option.

Dr. Wilnick Richard
Chief Medical Officer, C2C

C2C RESPONDS TO CIVIL UNREST IN HAITI

Photo Courtesy of The New York Times

Today is the celebration of Carnival in Haiti. The Carnival of Haiti (otherwise known as “Mardi Gras” or “Kanaval” in Creole) is one of the most anticipated events in the country. This cultural event kicks off the day before Ash Wednesday to usher in the season of Lent, with colorful celebrations throughout Haiti. But, unfortunately, this year, Haiti’s Minister of Culture has announced that official carnival celebrations have been canceled in light of recent protests and unrest across the country.

Photo Courtesy of Associated Press News

As you may have heard from the news or from personal connections in Haiti, major demonstrations have been occurring across the country since February 5, when citizens and opposition politicians began to demand the resignation of President Jovenel Moise.

That same day, our clinic managers were leaving our Cap Haitien clinic to attend a staff meeting at our Acul-du-Nord clinic when they were stopped on National Road 1 due to political unrest demonstrations. They tried to urge the demonstrators to allow them to cross the road to get to the clinic but there was no way convince demonstrators to allow them to pass the road blocked with cement blocks. Our staff from other clinics also were forced to cross the roadblock zone on foot to get home. The following day, the road was cleared and the staff was able to get to work easily. Unfortunately, the demonstrators blocked the road again later in the day, and, again, the only way the staff could pass through closures was on foot.

On February 7, due to the rising unrest (protests, huge roadblocks and barricades, and burning tires), we were forced to close our clinic network to protect our staff and the patients. Our staff in Haiti stayed in communication at all times to evaluate the situation in order to make a decision regarding the opening or closure of the clinics. For two weeks, our HR manager would send a message to all the staff every morning to instruct them to stay home if the roads and conditions did not allow travel. For most of this time however, one of our more remote clinics remained open and continued to serve the community since it is located in an area away from the political unrest and most of the staff lives in the same community the clinic serves. We also made a conscious effort to try and keep our main clinic in the center of town (Cap Haitien) open to patients who needed timely access to care.

Beyond the demonstrations, another challenge has been lack of fuel, which has made traveling difficult not only for our staff but patients too. Transportation prices have more than doubled to account for the shortage of fuel options in the country.

Encouragingly, in the last week, things have started to return to normal, but the political and economic situation in Haiti is still delicate. There is no telling whether or not the protests will restart. So, there will certainly continue to be challenges but this is what encourages us to keep doing the work we do. We hold on to (and continue to be energized by) the fact that we are providing vital healthcare services to communities that need them desperately.

Thank you for your continued support and, as always, onward!

C2C OPENS SECOND PUBLIC-PRIVATE CLINIC IN HAITI’S NORTHERN DEPARTMENT

C2C recently held a grand opening to celebrate adding a new clinic to our network as part of our expanding Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Haitian Ministry of Health in northern Haiti. This newly upgraded clinic opened its doors to treat vulnerable families who live or work in Bayeux and its surrounding communities. This is the 5th clinic in C2C’s growing network and the second clinic we have rehabilitated and re-opened in partnership with Haiti’s government. We collaborate closely with the Ministry to improve patient outcomes, service quality and operational excellence across all C2C clinics. The partnership is thriving in the northern department and will soon expand to other regions in Haiti.

We kicked off Opening Day at Bayeux by offering free immunizations for infants at the clinic which was met with enthusiasm and a large participation from families in the community. We also invited local government leaders and representatives from the Northern Department at the Haitian Ministry of Health. All attendees got the opportunity to take a tour of the clinic and learn about its new and wide-ranging services.

Community members gather to celebrate the grand opening of the Bayeux clinic

Patients wait in front of the clinic for immunizations and physician consultations

Stay tuned as we bring you more information about the Bayeux clinic’s progress and patient stories! In the coming months, you will also learn more about how C2C plans to add more PPP clinics to our growing network of clinics in Haiti.

[slideshow_deploy id=’5297′]

Clinic Launch Series: Part 4 of 5- Why a Public-Private Partnership?

In Haiti, over 80% of the population is living below the poverty line – that’s over 8 million people in need of economic opportunity, education, and human services. Social challenges of this magnitude cannot be tackled in isolation.Working together, the public and private sectors can catalyze development across the country. At C2C, we believe that the health sector is in desperate need of transformation and that a public-private partnership model has the power to give “new life” to flagging public health facilities. The Haitian Ministry of health agrees and has endorsed our work:

“C2C has demonstrated over many years that they hold the highest standards for quality and affordability. Their clinics are models of operational excellence and I believe that C2C’s operating model can transform public sector clinics across Haiti. C2C is a valued partner of the Haitian Ministry of Health,” said Dr. Ernst-Robert Jasmin, Director of the Northern Department, Haitian Ministry of Health

Step Four: Partner with the government to transform struggling public clinics and improve health outcomes for poor families

Starting with the Sinek clinic, our growing network of clinics will leverage the assets the Ministry of Health already has in place – infrastructure, trained personnel, and a commitment to data collection – by taking that system to the next level to fill the gaps that break down care delivery and undermine access and quality.

Our partnership with the Haitian Ministry of Health will double patient volume, ensure timely vaccination coverage for all children in the Sinek community, triple the pharmacy stock, and add diagnostics capacity on-site.

Rehabilitating the new clinic site at Sinek

Clinic Launch Series: Part 3 of 5- Meet the Staff of the Sinek Clinic

While a newly-renovated space, electronic medical records, and a stocked pharmacy are key components of a thriving community clinic, nothing is more important than the motivated and talented clinical staff who deliver care to patients each day. In our effort to rehabilitate government clinics, C2C will recruit, hire and train clinic personnel as needed. Fortunately, in Sinek, we inherit an extraordinary team of long-standing public employees who are excited about the management transformation that will give them the tools they need to deliver high-quality primary care.

Step Three: Staffing the clinic with talented, supported medical personnel

Meet Carmelle, the current Nurse Manager at the Sinek clinic. She has worked at the clinic for 11 years and has done everything in her power to care for patients. But the Ministry of Health as virtually no resources to support Carmelle in her efforts, so she has had to juggle competing demands: clinical care, inventory management, financial management, home-based care for tuberculosis patients, medical records and countless other functions. Carmelle is hopeful of change:

“For me, this partnership between C2C and the Ministry of Health can finally change things for the better in Sinek,” she says. “By coming together, we’ll build up the clinic to serve the local people with what they need. I’ve tried, but I need support. The arrival of C2C means that I won’t have worry about having supplies or medications for my patients. I won’t have to worry about leaving the clinic to go to town to find medicine to stock the shelves. C2C will make my life easier and I will have more time to give to my patients. I will get to do my job.”

Carmelle’s commitment to the clinic’s success and to the community of Sinek is evident. She shares her excitement for the community:“Finally, the people of Sinek will have access to health services. Usually, they have to travel to Limbé [the nearest town, 45 minutes away by car] for health services because the clinic here just isn’t able to take care of them. Now that C2C is here, the Sinek clinic will be able to take care of its own community.”

One-Year Report: C2C’s Malnutrition Program

According to the World Health Organization, clinical malnutrition is responsible, directly or indirectly, for more than 30% of deaths of children under five years old worldwide. In Haiti more specifically, 1 in 5 children are currently malnourished. Children suffering from malnutrition in early childhood will have lifelong consequences such as stunting and reduced mental development. Because of their weakened immune system, children are also much more at risk to develop other life-threatening pathologies, contributing to childhood mortality rates.

C2C began providing malnutrition treatment at our clinics one year ago with the support of our partner organization, Meds & Food for Kids (MFK), who produces and distributes Medika Mamba, a peanut-based therapeutic food considered the gold standard for treating malnutrition by the World Health Organization.

Once a week, children are screened at C2C clinic sites and malnourished children are enrolled in a 12-week treatment program. In its first year, we screened over 750 children and enrolled over 250 kids into comprehensive treatment.

With support from the Ministry of Public Health, C2C will extend the program for another year to continue to offer our malnutrition services to the families who need it most.

Malnutrition Success Story:

Andianie (9 months)

Before enrollment: 5.6 lbs After enrollment: 10.6 lbs

Andianie spent 12 weeks in the program and consistently put on weight. At the end of the program, she gained 5 whole pounds and grew 2.6 inches. She had become more active and playful as the weeks went by. Andianie’s mother was extremely happy with her progress and was ready to apply the health and hygiene knowledge she learned from the C2C staff.

Vitamins Help Treat Malnutrition

Providing the highest quality medical care to vulnerable families takes collaboration. We are proud to partner with Vitamin Angels to source vitamins for malnourished children and for our maternal patients, including antenatal multivitamins and supplements.

Recently, C2C Nurse Herlande Duvot attended a training course by Vitamin Angels on how to distribute vitamins according to expert-approved best practices. The training focused on the benefit of multivitamins for pregnant women, especially vitamin A. Vitamin Angels also discussed their mission to reduce child mortality worldwide by connecting essential micronutrients with infants and children under five.

This partnership with Vitamin Angels strengthens C2C’s supply chain and empowers our work to support women through safe and healthy pregnancies and to combat malnutrition. C2C is proud and excited to partner with Vitamin Angels in Haiti to expand our services for women and children for years to come.

CHW Training: Week One

C2C is kicking off November with a comprehensive, 2-week training for our Community Health Workers (CHWs), focusing on building skills and knowledge to support pregnant women and rural families with their health concerns. CHWs live in the communities where they work and they are trusted and welcomed into patients’ homes to provide health education, counseling, and follow-up for a wide range of health problems.

This week, we welcomed a new team member, Santia Vital, who will join our clinical team at C2C’s clinic in Acul du Nord.

The first few days of training focused on C2C’s malnutrition program, specifically how to screen and treat malnutrition. The CHWs also learned how to use new data collection tools to aid them in their work.

Dr. Sévère, resident physician at C2C’s Acul du Nord clinic, also provided training on vaccinations.

Care 2 Communities