Haiti earthquake: two years on

Two years ago in January 2010, Haiti was struck by a devastating earthquake. Following the quake that affected 3 million people, Sightsavers has worked together with local organizations to bring hope and help to the survivors.

Sightsavers supported its partner Société Haïtienne D’Aide aux Aveugles (SHAA - Haitian Society for the Blind) to provide emergency food relief that helped nearly 4,000 people. Our support also included cash grants for 125 families, which covered basic necessities in the aftermath of the disaster. In the long term, the grants will also help restore livelihoods.

We also supported our partners Comité National de Prévention de la Cécité (CNPC - National Prevention of Blindness Committee) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to carry out a post-earthquake assessment and planning meeting for eye health and inclusive services.

New premises

Sightsavers also supported SHAA’s relocation to a temporary office as their original office in Port-au-Prince was demolished. Their new office has now been built and they move in on February 23, in time to celebrate their 60^th anniversary. Sightsavers will also work to equip the new office with a new vision center and in-house spectacle lab. These will provide services through a project funded by the European Union.

The project has also helped to equip a vision center at the Eliazar Germain Hospital in Petionville, Port au Prince. Although equipment for an operating theater at the same location has been held up in customs, this is expected to clear any day, so surgical services can start.

Training eye care staff

Through the project, Sightsavers has also supported the training of vital eye care staff. To date, 100 Haitian primary health care workers have been trained to screen and refer people with eye problems. More primary health care workers will be trained in 2012, and Sightsavers will also support the training of three ophthalmologists.

Also in the pipeline for 2012 is starting three more vision centers, two operating theaters and training more eye care workers such as optometrists and refractionists to screen for long and short-sightedness, low vision specialists and technicians to work in the spectacle labs.

Although Haiti faces unique and at times overwhelming challenges, progress continues to be made. This is largely due to the professionalism, dedication and commitment of our partners Société Haïtienne D’Aide aux Aveugles and Comité National de Prévention de la Cécité, and we extend our gratitude to them.