November 24, 2010 – Miami, Florida…Libna Stevens/IAD
As the cholera epidemic intensifies in Haiti with over 1,300 deaths due to the deadly disease, so its neighboring country the Dominican Republic has seen evidence of a few cases of the dangers of an epidemic spreading. Seventh-day Adventist leaders are concerned and strategizing how they can collaborate to prevent further spread.
Earlier this week, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International leaders and church leaders from throughout the Inter-American Division (IAD), Haiti and the Dominican Republic held a special emergency teleconference aimed for closer networking among church and non-church organizations.
“Our conference call was to provide a platform for updating call participants on the Haiti cholera epidemic and to identify and link potential needs and resources for our assets on the ground,” Said Dave Dyjack, ADRA International director for Health who spoke to more than a dozen leaders from church, including representatives of Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Dyjack expressed that the call was to clarify areas of collaboration and next steps and action items.
With the Adventist Hospital in Carrefour, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti treating more than two dozen cases of cholera already, hospital administrators are in need of supplies to provide the necessary services for cholera patients such as IV fluids, buckets, cholera beds and more. The hospital is also in need of skilled nurses.
With five cases of cholera confirmed at the nearby Adventist University in Carrefour where some 500 displaced families are still taking shelter on the campus, local church leaders and university staff are concerned for the hundreds of students at the elementary, high school and university levels.
“It is a high risk for our students and our staff here on campus,” said Jean Josue Pierre, president of Haiti Adventist University. Pierre expressed the availability of their health professionals and nursing students to assist in training the population and surrounding community on preventive measures.
Measures have been taken to provide more sanitizing gels to the displaced families on campus, reported ADRA leaders overseeing the IDP camp.
Church leaders reported on their continued preventive campaign throughout their churches across Haiti and surrounding communities on education against cholera. Seven deaths among church members due to cholera were reported earlier this week.
In the neighboring Dominican Republic, the local ADRA office has some 3,000 volunteers available to work with the Ministry of Health to educate the population on preventive measure if an epidemic were to spread.
With more than six cases identified in the Dominican Republic, concerns for a growing outbreak is a priority, according to Luis Miguel Acevedo, ADRA Dominican director.
“We are very much concerned for our country and need to create more awareness all across Santo Domingo and our bordering regions with Haiti,” said Acevedo. Awareness radio broadcasts have been ongoing and flyers have been distributed but the need is for greater communication to the population.
The need for a closer collaboration between ADRA offices in Haiti and Dominican Republic were discussed to provide preventive services on the border as well as additional health education materials.
During the conference PAHO leaders conveyed support for the churches efforts and will collaborate in networking with the local offices to provide needed health education materials and medical supplies for both countries.
“Our aim remains both mitigation and curative in reducing deaths,” said Wally Amundson, ADRA director for Inter-America.
“These combined efforts between the huge untapped human resources and infrastructure which already exists in the local communities and churches, and the added technical and material support from the international community is critical in any emergency, but especially now as we make every effort to treat, contain, and diminish the cholera outbreak in these two countries,” explained Amundson.
“This far-reaching strategy was envisioned and organized well before this current epidemic by leaders at all levels of the SDA Church and the international agencies such as PAHO,” he concluded.
Continued efforts will be coordinated as leaders teleconference next week and the coming weeks to combat the further spread of the disease.