Haiti - The Crisis Continues.........

It was the beginning of 2010 when the world was filled with compassion after the shock of the deadly earthquake in Haiti. The outpouring support came from all over the world. It all looked hopeful. The fund raising campaigns led by celebrities proved to be effective as millions were donated.

The challenges were there by the loads. The roads were blocked due to fallen debris and in other cases, there were huge openings on the roads which made it impossible to pass. These barriers also played a major role in getting the supplies to the people. The coverage showed that the people of Haiti were taking the devastation in stride. They sang and danced in the areas where they gathered. However, they cried for the loss of loved ones, the lack of food and medical help for their children and the elderly, the lack of communication with their families or friends. It was an emotional experience to be on the outside looking helplessly just wanting to see something happen, to make it better - fast.

As with everything, time goes by and the focus shifts on to the next big crisis. The BP oil spill here, Mother Nature ruffling our weather to unpredictable patterns in areas that enjoy a predictable calm, earthquakes, mudslides, rain and snow storms, tsunami watch in Hawaii, Chilean Miners, threats in North Korea, etc., we became distracted or perhaps we thought, it was all working out.

In the fall of 2010, we heard the first murmurs of an outbreak of Cholera in Haiti. We should have seen this coming. It was the perfect setting for such devastation, surely we saw that the infrastructure was severely compromised. There they were asking for water while reporters mentioned that the people of Haiti are in need of basic things such as water, food, etc. We saw coverage of people bathing/gathering water that appeared to be unclean. In addition, corpses were all over the streets, hidden in pockets of debris, rain poured, the water flowed, it rained on the earth, the corpses of humans and animals were also exposed to the rain. These conditions are set for breeding bacteria such as Cholera and other diseases that are commonly found in conditions such as these.

Cholera causes severe diarrhea and can be fatal. The symptoms* includes:
Abdominal cramps
Dry mucus membranes or mouth
Dry skin
Excessive thirst
Glassy or sunken eyes
Lack of tears
Lethargy
Low urine output
Nausea
Rapid dehydration
Rapid pulse (heart rate)
Sunken "soft spots" (fontanelles) in infants
Unusual sleepiness or tiredness
Vomiting
Watery diarrhea that starts suddenly
Diarrhea has a "fishy" odor
Stool looks like water with flecks of rice in it

We admire the dedication of those who are there even long after the cameras have let the island working. The doctors, nurses, missionaries, students, citizens, responders of mankind and celebrities Wyclef Jean and Sean Penn. Clearly, Haiti is still in great need. How can we help? Let us begin with a call to those in charge Red Cross, Yele Haiti, UNICEF and Save the Children. Find out what they are doing to prevent these things from happening. It may be more of an issue on the hands of the Government of Haiti.

Haiti An Island In Great Need

* Symptoms & Treatment

Are you following up on the Swine Flu?

Last weekend while enjoying my get away in Palm Springs, I saw the news covering the cases of Swine Flu in Mexico and the US on CNN. I knew at that point that this was going to become the next big health topic for the next few weeks. Each day the cases grow and the concern deepens as the number of infected people increases. Now, the discussion/debate is whether it should be considered as an epidemic or pandemic alert.

An epidemic affects a large portion of a population in a community or region at the same time. If the cases of the Swine Flu were only reported in Mexico, it may be considered as an epidemic.

Pandemic is a sudden outbreak that spreads rather quickly throughout a whole region, continent, or the world. For example, the cases of the Swine Flu are currently recorded in Mexico, U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Israel, Spain and New Zealand and there may be more countries reporting the outbreak shortly.

There are levels of issuing a pandemic alert:

Levels 1-3 are for the animals that infect each other with very few cases of human infection.

Level 4 takes the human to human contact – human to animal contact which in turn affects a community.

Levels 5/6 is the widespread human infection.

Post Peak - monitors the period after the cases have dropped and continues to monitor to see if there is a second wave of new cases.

Post Pandemic – time to prepare for the next possible outbreak by taking the proper steps to handle any future occurrences.

The Swine Flu is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease on pigs which can then be transmitted to humans who are exposed to the infected swine and then through human to human contact. The symptoms are similar to having the flu – feeling feverish, lethargic, no appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.


Unfortunately, the death tolls have risen within the last few days in Mexico. Although there are no deaths reported from the other countries, we must all take note of the outbreak and prepare to follow the proper cautionary steps as advised by the health care professionals/health care governmental agencies. It is also important to note that there are no vaccines available for humans at this time.

One simple rule that is always advised even by your parents, wash your hands. It is also advised that you refrain from traveling while under the weather. It’s a tough call especially if you are all packed and ready to go on a great escape. However, an ounce of prevention is certainly worth more that a pound of cure. Do not dismiss the news coverage as something that does not or will not affect you. Know the symptoms and follow through with a call to your doctor or a visit to the closest emergency room.