Health

As we all have been have been observing the development of the ebola virus, some would say it is just a matter of time before the first case appears in Haiti. Although this is something I would not wish on the country, it is important to consider this option as it is a possibility.

What will the Haitian authorities do if ebola appears in Haiti? Let's share some critical information about the virus.

One, we all know that it only becomes contagious after the infected person start showing symptoms. if someone is infected with the virus but does not show any symptoms, that person can't infect another.

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This is getting from bad to worst and out of hands. The Ebola epidemic is a great concern; however it seems that the behavior of the population might be even more of a concern. Did you know that an Ebola scare at a Train Station in Boston forced the MBTA to temporarily suspend services. A sick Haitian woman who was sick and vomiting was assumed to be Liberian and that her illness was Ebola.

According to the Boston magazine reported, some blood was visible in the woman's vomit. The call to the emergency team stated that a Liberian woman was observer to be sick, vomiting and could be infected with the deadly ebola virus.

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Victoria Duval was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma after three qualifying matches in Wimbledon. She had won her first career draw match before she revealed her status. She said she will have to step aside for a short while because of the illness, but she's still hoping to be back quite soon. After the first round of qualifying while in Wimbledon, the diagnosis was made but she had to continue with the competition.

Victoria Duval expressed her faith in God and told well-wishers that she will recover from and continue with her tennis game which she loves the most. She is also praying to God to give her and her family strength and everything they need in this trying moment. According to her representatives from IMG, the biopsy taken in England and the U.S. confirmed the results and therefore the diagnosis was complete.

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The chikungunya virus's first case was recorded in May in Haiti, and health clinic workers say they have diagnosed 40,000 cases of what they believe to be chikungunya. The symptoms of the virus are severe joint pain that immobilizes victims for days on end and dehydration. The most extreme cases advance to a stage of respiratory failure.

Chikungunya has spread throughout the Caribbean with cases documented in as many as 20 countries in the South Region. They include the Virgin Islands, Dominica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, French Guyana, and Suriname.

Researchers have yet to develop a vaccine, and pain medication is the only remedy available. But for poor folk medication like acetaminophen is too expensive. Authorities have been dispensing free pain medication to public health clinics to counteract pharmacies preying on the vulnerable to shell out their last gourde to stop the pain.

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The Haitian Government has made it clear that no Haitian is allowed to leave the country and go to any of the African countries currently hit by the ibola outbreak to help with treatment.

The statement was released by Haiti Ministers of Health, together with Minister of Interior and Defense. It stated that the Ministers forbade any agency, including the U.N. Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), from recruiting haitian volunteers for that purpose.

The Minister of Defense, Lener Renauld, also indicated that it's a question of public health and security to avoid any Ebola epidemic crisis from reaching Haiti.

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It has been reported that the United Nations is funding a project to vaccinate close to 200,000 people in Haiti against cholera epidemic. The campaign will be focused mainly in the departments of Antibonite, Centre and Arcahaie where most of the cholera cases have been detected in Haiti.

The vaccination campaign is divided into two phased. The first phase took place last August, with the second to begin in mid September.

Side effects of Anti-Cholera Vaccination:
There are many side effects reported for those who have received the Anti-Cholera Vaccination. Unwanted effects may include rare, difficulty in breathing or swallowing, hives, itching, reddening of skin, especially around ears, swelling of eyes, face, or inside of nose. You can also have the following side effects after the cholera vaccination: Fever, general feeling of discomfort or illness, headache, pain, redness, or swelling in the area of injection

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On May 5, 2014, President Martelly, accompanied by his wife Mrs. Sophia Martelly has inaugurated the Community Hospital of Bon Repos and the Haitian Institute of Rehabilitation Gérard Léon. These two new facilities have been built under a tripartite collaboration of three countries, Brazil, Cuba and Haiti. The Community Hospital of Bon Repos has been built on a vast 4,248 square meter area with strict compliance to international quality norms. The Community Hospital of Bon Repos with 52 beds offers four essential medical services: (i) Pediatrics, (ii) Medicine, (iii) Surgery / Orthopedics, and (iv) Obstetrics and Gynecology. There will be doctors available for specialized consultation as well. It is expected that the people living in the surrounding areas of Bon Repos, like, Ganthier, Croix-des-Bouquets, Cabaret, Arcahaie, Fonds Parisien, etc, will be immensely benefited from this modern medical facility.

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Petit-Goâve is a small town of 12,000 residents, located in the Ouest Department, lying 42 miles from Port-au-Prince. When the 2010 earthquake hit, Petit-Goâve suffered serious damage, particularly from an intense aftershock of 5.9 magnitude. Its epicenter was virtually beneath the town.

A week after the January 12th earthquake, military ships coming from Spain and the U.S. arrived with relief aid for Petit-Goâve. In addition, Aid for Haiti, a not-for-profit American relief agency, arranged for temporary medical facilities and personnel to provide services to the community.

The one hospital Petit-Goâve contained was non-functioning in the aftermath of the quake. In response to the crisis, the Norwegian Red Cross sent its Emergency Response Unit to set up a field hospital. It has become a fully functioning medical facility, with two well-equipped surgery rooms, a fleet of ambulances, and emergency medical technicians. The hospitable also receives dependable electricity service.

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By the definitions of WHO, the World Health Organization, 1% of the population of Haiti is classified as blind. For children who are visually impaired, progress through life can be especially challenging, sometimes, even more so than others with more physical impairments.

This sentiment is that of Dr. Michael A. Pean from SHAA, the Haitian Society for Aid to the Blind.

One of the greatest handicaps meted out to a visually impaired child is the lack of access to education and the need for particular instruments to aid their learning. A child must be completely proficient and skilled at Braille, the writing technique that utilizes a blind person's sense of touch, before they can matriculate into the regular school system. This skill, if acquired late, can be the reason why a blind child enters school early, late, or just on time in life.

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This year World Tuberculosis Day, acknowledged on March 24 each year, fell on a Monday, and plans to disseminate information on the disease hit the ground running. Part of the success of the venture was due to the aid the Haitian government received from the US in the Caribbean country, which routinely screens for TB within their President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program
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TB is one of the leading causes of death among Haiti's children. It is an infection of the bacterial kind that spreads through the bloodstream and lymph nodes to various organs. Usually found in the lungs, it is easily spread through the air and untreated cases can result in exponential infections as one person may cause an additional 10 to 15 infections per year.

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