STAND WITH HAITI Fund to build back better

The enduring ramifications of the earthquake in Haiti, already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, are staggering. As the initial period of crisis in Haiti ends, the long-term work of rebuilding must begin.

"While this rebuilding creates unprecedented challenges, it also provides opportunities for real change," said PIH co-founder and Harvard Medical School professor Paul Farmer, speaking to a packed auditorium at Harvard Medical School last month. "Might addressing the acute needs of the displaced and injured afford us a chance to address the underlying chronic condition?” he asked. After some reflection, he suggested, "So the diagnosis is: natural disaster in a setting of great and longstanding privation... Haiti needs to build back better and stronger than before. This, then, should be the treatment plan."

To support this ambitious goal, PIH has launched the STAND WITH HAITI Fund in Haiti to support a three-year recovery and rebuilding plan. PIH is already moving beyond the acute phase of response in order to formulate and execute medium and long-term plans for the rebuilding of lives and livelihoods, communities, and the public health system. Although these strategies are sure to evolve over time, Haiti’s need for sustained support is already here.

Read the details of this plan, including initiatives planned for the next six months, and for the next three years.