Fast Fact on U.S. Government's Work in Haiti: President's Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (PEPFAR)

As a result of PEPFAR program’s long-established partnership with the people of Haiti in the fight against HIV/AIDS, PEPFAR was able to marshal an immediate response when the tragic earthquake occurred in January 2010. In the post-earthquake period, PEPFAR-supported infrastructure and resources formed the foundation of the U.S. Government’s capacity to mount a rapid and broad response. A wide variety of response and recovery activities have utilized the PEPFAR network of facilities, healthcare providers, community health workers and its supply chain system.

Through PEPFAR, the U.S. Government:

• Immediately mobilized its 149 prevention, treatment and care sites to continue to provide HIV/AIDS services.
• Provided disaster-related medical care at departmental hospitals in the most affected areas, including surgeries for trauma and other urgent conditions.
• Provided food, water and shelter to earthquake victims and displaced populations.
• Quickly committed $35 million in additional funding to ensure that the HIV response was maintained and broadened to meet post-earthquake needs.
• Worked with PROMESS, the central medical stores for the Government of Haiti, to address earthquake damage at the facility and re-establish an effective system to manage the demand for drugs and medical supplies to support medical relief efforts.
• GHESKIO, the primary HIV/AIDS service delivery site in Port-au-Prince, hosted two U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Disaster Medical Assistance units to do field triage and surgery. GHESKIO continued to provide medication to approximately 7,000 people with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
• PEPFAR's partner for health commodities, Supply Chain Management System (SCMS), assembled medical kits to for hospitals and clinics, coordinated volumes of donated humanitarian aid, and worked with the U.S. government health team to conduct rapid assessments to evaluate damage to structures.
• MSH/LMS, one of PEPFAR’s main logistical partners, worked closely with SCMS to store and distribute medical donations in the most affected areas and throughout the country.
• FHI Champ – a PEPFAR partner – developed a child protection plan and conducted Family Tracing and Reunification activities related to child protection in support of children living in camps in Port-au-Prince and Jacmel.
• In partnership with the Governments of Haiti and France, PEPFAR is supporting the reconstruction of HUEH – Haiti’s University and Educational Hospital in Port-au-Prince. A National Center for Health Sciences is being built on the same campus as HUEH, which will provide medical, nursing, pharmacy, and allied health education and training functions to provide essential personnel for Haiti’s short- and long-term needs.