Recorded presentation

Henry B. Perry, MD, Future Generations, HC 73 Box 100, Franklin, WV 26807, 304-358-2000, henry@future.org

Since 1956, HAS has been providing primary health care and hospital services in a rural area of the Artibonite Valley of Haiti. The purpose of this presentation is to share achievements and challenges faced during this period and to share HAS’s vision for the future. Established and funded initially by Dr. and Mrs. Larimer Mellon, HAS is the largest private health and development organization in Haiti, with 800 employees and 1,500 community health volunteers, serving almost 300,000 people. In 2000, an extensive program evaluation was completed, leading to a new vision statement. Multiple data collection instruments were used for the evaluation, including household surveys, focus group discussions, and analysis of existing program data. Over the past four decades, the infant and child mortality rates in the HAS service area have been consistently less than for the rest of Haiti. As a result of these comparisons, we estimate that 31,000 deaths of children have been prevented and more than 1.6 million years of life preserved as a result of the community-based primary health care and hospital services provided by HAS. At present, the childhood immunization coverage rate and the contraceptive prevalence rate are both three times greater than the comparable rates for the rest of rural Haiti. However, major inequities still exist within the service area, and the process of community “ownership” has been slower than hoped for. Responding to these deficiencies and making a stronger commitment to education, research and training form major parts of HAS’s new strategic plan.

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