PADF responds to Haiti’s deadly cholera outbreak, seeks donations to continue efforts

Public awareness, purification tablets and clean water are keys to controlling outbreak

Washington, D.C. – In an effort to fight the cholera outbreak that has killed more than 250 and
infected in excess of 3,300 Haitians, the Pan American Development Foundation is helping to
contain the disease and is seeking support for its on-the-ground recovery efforts.
“We’re coordinating with the health ministry and our community partners to inform Haitians
about how to stay safe, which is critical as we work to stop the spread of this deadly disease,” says
Amy Coughenour, PADF’s deputy executive director. “Public awareness is our best preventative
medicine. Despite this work, Haiti needs more help.”
Cholera is a water-borne disease that is contained through proper hygiene and clean drinking
water. PADF is also shipping in water purification tablets.
“Prior to the cholera outbreak, PADF and its partners rehabilitated water distribution systems.
Fortunately, they are playing a key role in keeping many communities healthy,” she says.
In addition to coordinating with its network of community-based organizations throughout the
country, PADF is working with 14 local disaster response committees that it previously formed and
trained in the Artibornite province. It is believed that the cholera outbreak started in that province.
PADF, which has 150 people working on a wide range of recovery and development projects, is
urging individuals and companies to donate to its effort to rebuild Haiti. Contributions are accepted
online at www.ImUnitedforHaiti.org or by calling toll free: (877) 572-4484.

Rebuilding lives

PADF, which has worked in Haiti for nearly 30 years, was a first responder after the devastating
Jan. 12 earthquake. Its efforts directly benefited more than 1.3 million Haitians in eight months.
Today, it is focusing on rebuilding Haitians’ shattered lives.
“The best solution to this and future health crises will be to get people into safe homes, back to
work and provide them with the tools to take care of their families,” says Coughenour. “Those are
our goals and we’re seeing results, which are a direct result of our community partnerships.”
To get people into safe homes, PADF has trained more than 100 Haitian structural engineers who
have inspected 76,000 homes in Port-au-Prince since May. The engineers have certified 36,000 as
safe for occupancy. It is also training local masons the techniques to repair homes. The initiative is
funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
“Fear of unsafe buildings has kept far too many Haitians from returning home,” says Coughenour.
“These inspections have meant that more than 100,000 Haitians have returned home, which is a big
step in the recovery effort.”

About PADF

PADF is a non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate, and implement social
and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past year, it had more than
10 million beneficiaries in 22 countries. www.padf.org
PADF is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Haiti. With nearly three decades of
work on the ground, PADF now manages a large portfolio of activities ranging from community-
driven development to protecting human rights. www.ImUnitedforHaiti.org
PADF is based in Washington, D.C., and has field offices in Haiti, Colombia and elsewhere.
www.padf.org

Contact:
Michael J. Zamba
Senior Director
Communications and Public Affairs
Pan American Development Foundation
mzamba@padf.org
Tel. (202) 458-6180
Donations: (877) 572-4484
www.ImUnitedforHaiti.org
www.padf.org