Haiti - Health Guidance and Information

General Information

After an Earthquake (CDC) - What to expect, what to do, and precautions to take after an earthquake occurs

Haiti Earthquake Info & General Earthquake Info (CDC) - Information about the January 12th earthquake in Haiti, as well as how to survive an earthquake and reduce its health impact.

Guidance for U.S. Residents in Haiti (CDC) - General health guidance from the CDC if injured, for food and water precautions, and other things to avoid.

Health Professionals & Relief Workers

Cholera Information for Healthcare Professionals (CDC) - Information on diagnosis, testing, treatment, patient care, and prevention. Links to publications and patient education materials relevant to Cholera.

Defeating Cholera: Clinical Presentation and Management for Haiti Cholera Outbreak, 2010 (CDC) - Cholera patients should be evaluated and treated quickly. With proper treatment, even severely ill patients can be saved. Prompt restoration of lost fluids and salts is the primary goal of treatment.

First Responders Resources (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response) - Information for first responders including: working in hot environments, injuries, and psychological and stress issues.

Guidance for Relief Workers and Others Traveling to Haiti for Earthquake Response (CDC) - Recommended vaccines, malaria information, dengue, tuberculosis, AIDS/HIV, and other infectious disease information, basic first aid supplies, safe food and drinks, protection against insects and animals, injury prevention, and psychological impact information.

Health Recommendations for Relief Workers Responding to Disasters (CDC) - Advice specific to the needs of relief workers responding to disasters including: prior to traveling information, immunizations, diseases, other risks, psychological and emotional stress, and a travel health kit.

Interim Health Recommendations for Workers who Handle Human Remains After a Disaster (CDC) - Precautions for individuals who must have direct contact with human remains.

Mass Medical Care with Scarce Resources: The Essentials (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) - Guide includes information on ethical and legal issues, and the provision of services to address pre-hospital, acute hospital care, and alternative care sites, and palliative care during a public health emergency.

Earthquake Information for Clinicians (CDC) - Resources for clinicians on potential health concerns that patients may present either on the ground or returning from Haiti.

Disaster Alternate Care Facility Selection Tool (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) - Two new interactive computer tools, Disaster Alternate Care Facility Selection Tool and an ancillary tool, Alternate Care Facility Patient Selection Tool, help institutions and communities select alternate care facilities and determine which patients to send to them.

Children's Health Issues

Important Health Information for Parents Adopting Children from Haiti during the 2010 Earthquake Recovery (CDC) - Serious infectious diseases, especially tuberculosis (TB), are a concern in Haiti. High rates of malnutrition is also a serious concern. Orphans tend to be greatly affected by these health issues. Therefore, it is very important that children coming to the United States from Haiti are screened for such illnesses so that they can be treated as soon as possible.

Interim Recommendations for Initial Domestic Medical Screening of Haitian Orphan Parolees (CDC) - This medical screening should be performed as soon as possible after arrival and consist of a general medical screening, as well as screening for tuberculosis (TB), vaccination status, HIV, intestinal parasites, malaria, syphilis, and mental health.

Tuberculosis (TB) Screening for International Adoptees Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (CDC) - Children can spread TB to others, though the chance of that happening is much less likely than it is for adults who have TB. There have been several cases in which a child was found to be infectious and spread TB to others. These cases highlight the need to use caution when assuming that children with TB cannot spread the disease.

Coping with Disasters

Mental Health and Disaster Issues (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - Tips on talking with children and other individuals, plus fact sheets for responders, adults, and seniors.

Coping with Traumatic Events (National Institute of Mental Health) - Information and resources for parents, first responders, researchers and others.

Food & Drug Safety

Power Outages: Key Tips for Consumers about Food Safety (FDA) - How to prepare for and what to do when the power goes out and when the power is restored.

Haiti Ackee Fruit (FDA) - People in Haiti with access to ackee orchards might try to eat the fruit as a result of food scarcity. They should not eat unripe ackee fruit, or certain parts of the ripe fruit, because naturally occurring toxins in them can cause sickness or death.

Insulin Storage and Switching between Products in an Emergency (FDA) - Advice for patients who may have to use insulin products different from their usual insulin in an emergency.

Safe Drug Use After a Natural Disaster (FDA) - Provides information on what to do with drugs that have been potentially affected by fire, flooding or unsafe water and the use of temperature-sensitive drug products when refrigeration is temporarily unavailable.

Impact of Severe Weather Conditions on Biological Products (FDA) - Addresses information on the storage and use of temperature-sensitive biological products that have been involved in a electrical power failure.

Public Health Issues

Five Basic Cholera Prevention Messages (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Haiti Pre-decision Briefs for Public Health Action  (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Key recommendations.           

Public Health Issues and Priorities for the Haiti Earthquake (CDC) - Public health needs, projections, and recommendations taking into account Haiti's socio-economic and demographic situation and the health of its people prior to the earthquake. Based on CDC's previous experience with disasters in Haiti and earthquakes in other countries.