As we reflect upon the one year anniversary of the 7.2 earthquake that ripped through Haiti on January 12, 2010, it is important now more than ever to remain focused on the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation. On or about October 21, 2010, it was confirmed that cholera was spreading in Haiti. While it was speculated that disease outbreaks might be a concern post-earthquake, cholera was an unexpected dilemma relief workers had to immediately address. Cholera—a disease caused when water is contaminated by human and animal waste—literally causes the dehydration of its victims, with death a surety if late or no intervention occurs. There had never been a documented case of cholera in Haiti’s history prior to this, and while the source of the outbreak has yet to be determined, it was quite clear that the main focus was to treat those infected and prevent the spread of the disease.
In light of this, under the leadership of Congressman Donald M. Payne, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Task Force on Foreign Policy and International Affairs, I organized the “Haiti Recovery Briefing Series” which engages government officials, private organizations, non-profits, corporations and individuals in informative briefings, collaborative thinking, and effective planning to ensure long-term focus on Haiti’s recovery. The launch of the series occurred on November, 10th, 2010, and representatives from government and private organizations updated the Hill and community on their humanitarian efforts, health in Haiti post-earthquake, and challenges moving forward. Our distinguished panelists included:
- Joelle Bastien, Political Officer, Haiti Office – United States Department of State
- Paul Weisenfeld, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator/LAC – Bureau, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
- Dr. Scott Dowell, Director, Division of Global Disease Detection & Emergency Response/Lead, Haiti Cholera Response—Center for Disease Control (CDC)
- Robert Nicholas, Executive Director – African Methodist Episcopal Service and Development Agency (AME-SADA)
- Dr. Joia Mukherjee, Chief Medical Officer – Partners In Health
- David Meltzer, Senior Vice President of International Services – American Red Cross
- Melinda Miles, Director of “Let Haiti Live”– TransAfrica Forum
- Marlye Gélin-Adams, Government Relations Advisor— CARE USA
Presenting to a packed room, Haiti, once again, became a topic of conversation. The briefing was effective—not only because it informed the community on aide efforts, but it also provided a space for government and NGO leaders to hear first-hand what each respective entity was doing in response to Haiti, with the hopes of efficient collaborations on future efforts. Since the briefing, the discussion has continued, with an emphasis on clean water, infrastructure, job creation, and education. Congressman Payne and other CBC members remain dedicated to the recovery of Haiti and look forward to creating proactive measures to address one of the greatest humanitarian challenges of our time.
Ifeoma Ike, Esq.
CBCF Policy Fellow
Representative Donald M. Payne (NJ-10)
