PAHO - Pan American Health Organization

Published purpose

Within the span of just over one week at the end of August and beginning of September, Hurricanes Fay and Gustav and tropical storm Hanna swept through Haiti, causing widespread destruction throughout the country. While needs assessments are far from complete it is estimated that up to 800,000 people are in need for humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance. The number of Haitians directly and indirectly affected by the extreme weather conditions is much higher. Initial projections show that the economic impact of the current disasters will be even worse than after hurricane Jeanne that hit Haiti in 2004. A large majority of the population was already facing extreme hardship with 53% living on less than one US dollar per day, while prices for staple foods have increased over 40% since the beginning of the year. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) activities supported by CIDA include the coordination of humanitarian action concerning health; the prevention of the spread of communicable diseases and vector control; the provision of uninterrupted access to health care and medicine; and the assurance of reproductive health measures and safe deliveries for pregnant women.