"As Long As It Takes."

IMA World Health began efforts to provide relief to Haiti soon after the January 12th earthquake. And now, the more far-reaching work has begun. IMA is moving to re-start the major disease control effort it leads in Haiti, and to expand the program as a platform to increase its impact. These are some of the key results from the work of IMA’s Assessment Team after returning from a lengthy trip to Haiti.

IMA’s Country Representative, Dr Abdel Direny, was joined by retired President of IMA, Paul Destine, for the assessment. The heavily damaged capital, Port au Prince, was visited, as well as many areas in the interior which are hosting large numbers of displaced people from the city. Derstine lived in Haiti for more than a decade and has provided technical support on Haiti for the past twenty five years. He will serve as Senior Advisor to IMA President and CEO Rick Santos on the Haiti relief and reconstruction situation.

“Paul has a deep love for Haiti and its people, and knows the country and the language,” said Santos. “It is rare to have someone of Paul’s stature, knowledge and qualifications available to oversee work such as this.”

IMA World Health, which leads a USAID-funded major national effort to eliminate two neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Haiti, visited the Ministry of Health, partner agencies and others working on the ground to determine where IMA’s efforts would have the most impact.

A consensus was reached that the NTD program should be re-started. A total of 1.5 million people will receive treatments in April, May and June. The January 12th earthquake severely damaged the hospital which hosts the IMA office. During the assessment, a decision was made to relocate the office from Port-au-Prince to St Marc.

IMA, along with support of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, will seek to integrate other basic health services into the MDA program when it is restarted. IMA and its partners are looking at additional potential interventions.

“I have been inspired by the courage of my IMA colleagues who, despite losing homes, friends and former classmates, are committed to move the Neglected Tropical Disease program forward in 2010,” Derstine said.

IMA and its partners are looking for ways to provide additional basic health services during the rolling out of the re-started NTD program.

Sharing resources with an emphasis on innovation will be of great benefit to Haiti in the next stage of its national recovery.

“IMA will walk with our Haitian brothers and sisters as long as it takes,” said IMA World Health President and CEO Rick Santos.