Since the initial cases of COVID-19 were detected in countries across the world, Project Santé began ramping up training efforts to inform key stakeholders across Haiti about proactive ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Over the past three weeks, Project Santé has trained hospital workers, community agents, school directors, pastors, businesses, mothers’ clubs, and youth leaders to help disseminate knowledge across all communities. The Santé team has created information pamphlets, posters, audio messages, and videos that all reinforce the same prevention strategies outlined by the MSPP.

“We are determined to make sure our communities are educated on how to handle this virus. We cannot repeat the mistakes we made with cholera,” stated Jean Claude, a school director in Lascahobas, a town only a few kilometers from the epicenter of the cholera epidemic which resulted in almost 10,000 deaths in Haiti.

While there are few confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date in Haiti, Project Santé has already started producing and distributing their own bleach solution to hospital sites that can sterilize the hospitals, clean hands and purify water for drinking. Using a new technology that has been prepositioned to serve all 10 departments, the project is scaling up production to ensure that when hospitals begin to treat patients with COVID-19, they will be equipped to stop the spread of the virus.

“We are working closely with the MSPP and are supporting our 168 hospitals across the country in their time of need,” reinforced Dr. Eugene, Technical Lead of Disaster and Risk Management at Project Santé.

See the original article from USAID: