Diarrhoea, Diarrhea, Dehydration and Oral Rehydration - Rehydration Project home
Diarrhoea Kills a Child Every 26 Seconds
 

Home > What's New > Key Resources for Haiti Disaster Efforts - Cochrane Evidence Aid, Risk Management, Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Management Communication and Media Resource Materials


Key Resources for Haiti Disaster Efforts
Cochrane Evidence Aid, Risk Management, Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Management Communication and Media Resource Materials

Incorrect ORS Mixing Instructions on Posters in Haiti

Half (1/2) teaspoon of Salt and Six (6) teaspoons of Sugar should be dissolved in 1 Litre of water Posters showing incorrect instructions for making an oral rehydration solution using salt, sugar and water are being widely distributed by the Ministry of Public Health and other organizations in Haiti.

Half (1/2) teaspoon of Salt and Six (6) teaspoons of Sugar should be dissolved in 1 Litre of water. (Not 1 Gallon of water as the poster says) For further clarification, please see: http://factsforlifeglobal.org/07/5.html

The following actions need to be taken immediately:

1. The current posters need to be withdrawn and replaced.

2. A communications campaign to inform everybody locally that the old poster had incorrect information and they should use 1 Litre and not 1 Gallon.

Your help is requested to inform everybody in Haiti of the correct way to make this life-saving solution.

Contact Information


Seeking information about relatives in Haiti: +1 (888) 407-4747 Red Cross Missing Persons

Contact list Haiti earthquake
Organizations and responsible people working on the ground with e-mail addresses and mobile telephone numbers. If you aren't a registered user with OneResponse, click on cancel in the pop-up window asking for your login id.

UNICEF: A Haiti fit for children

Call for support for appropriate infant and young child feeding in Haiti The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Food Programme (WFP) have released an important joint statement calling for support for appropriate infant and young child feeding during the Haiti emergency to prevent malnutrition, morbidity, and mortality among children. The message emphasizes the following points:
  • Breastfeeding is the safest feeding option for infants during an emergency. Every effort should be made to support mothers to breastfeed and avoid the use of breastmilk substitutes, which should be a last resort only after fully exploring safer options.
  • Relactation should be prioritized for infants under six months of age who are no longer breastfed. When this is not possible (e.g., for orphans), or when skilled personnel identify a need for artificial feeding, breastmilk substitutes must be accompanied by training for caregivers on hygienic preparation and use. Liquid ready-to-use breastmilk substitutes are preferred over powder mixes.
  • In an emergency, the use of breastmilk substitutes can endanger children’s lives and, in accordance with international guidelines, they should not be donated. UNICEF is the coordinating agency in Haiti for the appropriate use of breastmilk substitutes and can provide guidance to organizations.
  • Children older than six months of age require nutritious, age-appropriate, and safe complementary foods in addition to breastmilk. Priority should be given to providing local, culturally-acceptable foods. When cooking facilities are unavailable, ready-to-use fortified foods are an option. However, once cooking facilities have been set up, fortified blended food is recommended.

Summary: UNICEF, WHO, and WFP call for support for appropriate infant and young child feeding in Haiti and caution about unnecessary and potentially harmful donations and use of breast-milk substitutes.

Download the statement Please share this information with colleagues working on relief efforts for Haiti.


UNICEF: First-person account: Young Haitian earthquake survivor dreams of normalcy

Resource Materials

Download Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) Instruction Guides in English and Creole

Thanks to Charles R. Staubs, D.O. and Jean Michelet

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Reference Books

Guidelines are available in French and Spanish as well as English
Click here to purchase MSF Reference Books

Essential Drugs - 2010Essential Drugs - 2010
 English / Français / Español

Refugee health - 1997Refugee health - 1997
 English

Rapid health assessment of refugee or displaced populations - 2006Rapid health assessment of refugee or displaced populations - 2006
 English
TuberculosisTuberculosis - 2008
 English / Français

Clinical guidelines - 2010Clinical guidelines - 2010
 English / Français / Español

Management of epidemic meningogoccal meningitis - 2008Management of epidemic meningogoccal meningitis - 2008
 English / Français

Obstetrics in remote settings - 2007Obstetrics in remote settings - 2007
 English / Français


MUST protocols (Medical Update SMS Tsunami) Introduction
Local health workers, volunteers and the local community should be provided with the best possible means of prevention and treatment in case of a national disaster. Up to date prevention and treatment protocols will be provided on this website. Documents are served as PDF files. The MUST protocols have been used during the Tsunami, the earthquake in Padang (Sumatra) and now in Haiti.

Children Wintershelter
English | Chinese (Mandarin) | Bahasa | Français How to prevent and treat dehydration
English | Bahasa | Chinese (Mandarin) | Français How to prevent and treat diarrhoea
English | Bahasa How to turn unsafe water into drinking water
English | Bahasa | Chinese (Mandarin) | Français Earthquake emergency shelter
English Must SMS
English | Français Bekijk hier Evidence Emergency Protocols


The Haiti Relief Toolkit is a one-stop source for technical and practical information that will help health workers respond to the earthquake relief efforts underway in Haiti. The toolkit covers the vital sectors in emergencies, including health, water and sanitation, food security, and shelter. It also covers key field activities supporting the operations, such as logistics. Haitian Creole edition of Where There is No Doctor -  pdf 23Mb.
Haitian Creole edition of Where Women Have No Doctor -  pdf 8.8Mb.
Haitian Creole edition of Sanitation and Cleanliness booklet -  pdf 3Mb.
Cholera fact sheet in English -  pdf

Other health materials in English and Spanish can be downloaded here

APHA - American Public Health Association
Public Health Emergency: Haiti Earthquake Response Is Urgent

CDC has updated several fact sheets that provide information health care providers and responders can utilize before, during and after an earthquake.

CDC's Earthquake Web page includes many other resources for responders.

Additional earthquake resources for clinicians from CDC include the following.

APHA is providing free access to its Public Health Management of Disasters: The Pocket Guide here as a resource.


Risk Management, Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Management Communication and Media materials:
Global Home Page English - América Latina Spanish - Risk Management (Gestión del Riesgo) Theme Site Spanish


US National Library of Medicine - Disaster Information Management Research Center

You can reach the list moderator at [email protected] Resource Guide for Public Health Preparedness at NYAM in partnership with NLM Management of Dead Bodies After Disasters: A Field Manual for First Responders -  pdf

Cochrane Evidence Aid: resources for Haiti earthquake
All countries in Latin America and the Caribbean can access The Cochrane Library for free via the Virtual Health Library BIREME interface (in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Prevention of waterborne infections

Wound management

Fracture management

Physical trauma (excluding fractures)

Blood transfusion

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Renal

Donate


Comprehensive List of Key Organizations Taking Donations for HAITI Child Health Foundation - Haiti Action Network, Haiti Emergency Relief Fund, Project Medishare, Doctors Without Borders, Catholic Relief Services, Lamp for Haiti, Partners in Health - Grassroots International, Earthquake Relief Fund for Haiti .... More places to give here - Independent evaluations: CharityNavigator.


Donate to a cause on Facebook
Doctors Without Borders | Friends of the World Food Program | International Rescue Committee


Give a Haiti relief charity gift to a Facebook friend.
Water for Haiti from Oxfam | Light a Candle for Haiti from UNICEF | Food for Haiti from CARE | Shelter for Haiti from the American Red Cross | Survival Kit from World Vision | Visit the Facebook Charity Gift Shop

Volunteer


The following organizations have solicited volunteers either for acute emergencies or for long-term commitments. However, the American Medical Association (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/news/news/haiti-earthquake-response.shtml) warns that the spontaneous volunteer has no place in a disaster response. Volunteers must be part of the solution -- not the problem. The AMA is planning to develop a clearing house for appropriate volunteering.

Stay Up-to-Date on Current Information


The following are key organizations focusing on the health impact of the earthquake in Haiti

Spaces to Discuss and Debate


BloggersUnite For Haiti BloggersUnite For Haiti


Twitter - Poll votes - Forum debate - Blog Comments
As a medical professional, what is your response to a major disaster such as the earthquake in Haiti?

Check Your Association for More Ways to Become Involved


The following professional organizations have initiated efforts for helping the people of Haiti. It is by no means a comprehensive list. Please continue to check your own association for current information if it is not listed here.

updated: 4 July, 2014