Stories from the field

Haitian Red Cross joins international organizations in health promotion as rains intensify

22 May 2010
By Claire Doole in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

The Haitian Red Cross today joined other organizations working in water and sanitation in Haiti to stage a special street event opposite Port-au-Prince’s Place Saint-Pierre quake camp, where an estimated 6,000 people settled after the January 12th earthquake.

Haitian Red Cross volunteers led some 300 camp children around the Place Saint-Pierre square in Pétionville to where an interagency health-promotion fair was held in tented stands.

The event was coordinated by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which is leading the water and sanitation “cluster” of agencies in Haiti, and included groups like Oxfam and Save the Children.

Photo by José Manuel Jiménez

“With the rainy season intensifying there is an increased risk of disease spreading from the camps into the general population,” said Pauline Mwaniki, UNICEF coordinator of the hygiene promotion. “We are planning to launch a nationwide health-awareness campaign,” she added.

Preventing disease
Led by Red Cross volunteers and staff from the organizations taking part, children from Place Saint-Pierre camp took to the streets to sing about how washing hands with soap and water can save lives.

Amongst them was Milien Robenson, 13, whose family has been living in the camp since their house collapsed.

“It is really good to be able to sing and play games,” he said, “as it takes my mind off the earthquake and I no longer feel so afraid.”

Mothers came from the Place Saint-Pierre camp to hear how washing hands with soap after using the toilet or before handling food and caring for babies can prevent illness.

At the Pétionville event, mothers were given a bar of soap to encourage healthy behaviour, but organizers said the biggest challenge is matching messages with actual hardware like drains, toilets and washing facilities.

“We have an integrated approach,” said Gaelle Fohr, an International Red Cross health-promotion delegate, who also spent the day at Place Saint-Pierre.
“In each of the camps where we organize health promotion activities, we also provide water, sanitation and health services.”

So far more than 150,000 people have been reached with hygiene-promotion work in more than 100 camps where Haitian Red Cross volunteers work with the International Red Cross.