Project Name：Emergency Cholera Response to At Risk Communities in Tabarre and Petionville(Haiti)

Project status：Completed projects

Cooperating Country：Haiti

Project Description：

A cholera epidemic striked Haiti in October 2010, taxing an already fragile country devastated by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake on January 12, 2010. It is anticipated that the outbreak will become nationwide, spreading into both rural and urban areas. The potential occurrence of cholera in Port au Prince's congested tent communities is a cause for alarm and all efforts are being directed towards preventing its spread. Local populations are unfamiliar with basic information regarding the transmission, prevention and treatment of the disease. To stem the further spread of the disease, public health promotion, combined with the distribution of NFIs, and developing a cadre of trained health educators is needed.
Therefore we try to reduce the further spread of cholera by increasing public awareness about the prevention of the disease and promoting improved hygiene practices while building the capacity of local communities to respond to future outbreaks.

Implementation Start Date：2011-01-03

Implementation End Date：2011-07-29

Source of Funding：TaiwanICDF, Mercy Corps

Project Objectives：To reduce the further spread of cholera by increasing public awareness about the prevention of the disease and promoting improved hygiene practices while building the capacity of local communities to respond to future outbreaks.

Executing Agency：TaiwanICDF, Mercy Corps

Implementation Arrangement：

1.Hygiene Promotion: Use a variety of methods to relay hygiene promotion messages. One-on-one personal outreach, presentation to school groups and communities, drama at schools and market places, and printed materials will all be developed to reinforce key prevention and treatment messages. Printed materials will be developed and distributed to reinforce messages. A drama group will be hired to perform each month at public venues.
2.Distribution of Non-Food Items (NFIs): Distribute NFIs to targeted, at-risk populations in Port au Prince. Use a combination of items expected to be available through the pipeline and items it procures directly. As supplies are available, we will aim to ensure that each month at-risk households will receive soap and water purification tablets. Jerry cans to allow for water purification at the household level and oral rehydration salts will be distributed as needed.
3.Hygiene Committees: We will train volunteers from thirty distinct neighborhoods in either Tabarre or Petionville communities and form thirty hygiene committees. Camp members and local residents will be included as part of the committees. Trainees will be expected to conduct outreach efforts and to encourage incorporation of hygiene messages at further community events and to maintain hygienic conditions in the camps. During the first two months the training will focus on quickly ensuring access to cholera education and information in all communities. Additional refresher trainings and monthly meetings will be had to train on new techniques and to check in on the committees' progress.

Signing Date：2010-12-29

Projected Benefits：An estimated 13,000 individuals will be reached directly by public health promoters and/or the drama groups. Approximately 150 people, five from each community will participate in the hygiene committees.