Haitian Earthquake: Evolution of a large-scale global response

On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti impacting approximately 3 million of the 9 million Haitian population with over 200,000 deaths and countless numbers of injuries. Immediately a robust international response was mobilized recognizing the fact that Haiti remains the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. As such, chronic challenges in providing care for Haitians in the context of the existing infrastructure and health system coupled with recent hurricanes that struck the island in 2008 meant that the nation's ability to respond to such a large-scale earthquake was compromised.

Immediately post-earthquake, the response that was mobilized was for emergency and acute surgical needs. These skill sets were provided mostly by a cadre of volunteer clinicians who descended on the island. However, the lack of organization of such a large number of responders meant that their response activities were not optimally organized. Over time, the emergency response activities improved but as populations of those impacted moved into tents and temporary housing, primary/chronic care and public health needs became even more important as health care needs transitioned from the initial emergency response phase.

In this session, presenters will provide unique insights on their roles in the Haiti response, and how their experiences shed light on health equity-related issues. Through their experiences, a picture of Haiti's ongoing health system needs as well as future needs will become apparent. The Haitian earthquake response will also illustrate the importance of adhering to international emergency response principles.