In recent decades,Haiti has been subject to man-made and natural disasters that have left its citizens vulnerable to a range of shocks.With a weak state unable to protect its populace,Haitians are exposed to some of t...In recent decades,Haiti has been subject to man-made and natural disasters that have left its citizens vulnerable to a range of shocks.With a weak state unable to protect its populace,Haitians are exposed to some of the highest levels of poverty and violence in the Western Hemisphere.In recent years,Haitians have experienced two crises that this study analyzes:the instability and political violence of“peyi lòk”as well as the global pandemic of COVID-19.This community-based assessment explores the impact of these two crises on the mental health and psychological well-being of 38 Haitian university students in the understudied northern part of the country.Results indicate that both crises had similarities related to their psychological effects on young people,most notably in terms of traumatic experiences related to threats or violence,forced confinement,and large increases in population-wide uncertainty.Additionally,the extreme violence of“peyi lòk”and the widespread unpredictability of COVID-19 and its effects in the early days of the pandemic resulted in high levels of stress and fear.Both crises also resulted in extreme economic hardship for students,with many reporting difficulties accessing basic needs such as food and water.This study highlights how converging population-level crises in“complex emergencies”can heighten trauma and compromise mental health.展开更多
In this paper a Photovoltaic (PV) system was designed for the Port-Margot School Solar Project in Haiti. This off-grid system consists of PV panels, inverter, battery storage and other components such as fuses, dc/ac ...In this paper a Photovoltaic (PV) system was designed for the Port-Margot School Solar Project in Haiti. This off-grid system consists of PV panels, inverter, battery storage and other components such as fuses, dc/ac disconnects and transformers [1]. Sizing the PV to fit on the roof was determined. The battery storage and inverter were chosen to be installed in the school building. The expected energy production was compared with data file from NASA website. The KW PV system was chosen to be the most effective and demonstrating renewable technologies and reducing the electrical load of the school.展开更多
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and presents a unique scenario for the food and agriculture industry, because there is no food safety legislation. The application of Good Agricultural Practices ...Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and presents a unique scenario for the food and agriculture industry, because there is no food safety legislation. The application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) leads to improvements of quality, safety and sustainability of agricultural products. The purpose of the study was to assess the status of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in cocoa and coffee farms in Northern Haiti. A general survey captured information about the farmer and the farm, and an audit checklist was used to assess compliance to GAPs. A total of 11 farms (n = 11) were audited, of which 7 were cocoa farms (64%) and 4 were coffee farms (34%) in the regions of Dondon, Limonade and Milot. Average overall audit scores for coffee farms (73%) were higher than for cocoa farms (55%). Farms affiliated with a cooperative scored higher (78%) than those that were not part of a cooperative (55%). The sections of the survey on “Practices related to premises and production site”, and the “use of agricultural inputs and chemicals” received the lowest scores but were confined to the cocoa farms. “Record keeping” plus “distribution, transportation, and traceability” were cause for concern with both the cocoa and coffee farms. Critical non-conformances included the access of livestock animals and domestic pets to processing and storage areas, the lack of control in the application of agricultural chemicals, a lack of safeguards on equipment and elevated surfaces, and washing of fresh cocoa beans to remove the mucilage with water that had not been treated or tested for potability. The root cause of the non-conformances, regardless of the commodity, was either related to poor physical and organizational infrastructures, or to a lack of technical training.展开更多
Background Malaria continues to cause burden in various parts of the world.Haiti,a Caribbean country,is among those aiming to eliminate malaria within a few years.Two surveys were conducted in Haiti during which we ai...Background Malaria continues to cause burden in various parts of the world.Haiti,a Caribbean country,is among those aiming to eliminate malaria within a few years.Two surveys were conducted in Haiti during which we aimed to evaluate the performance of the simple and rapid procedure for ultra-rapid extraction-loop-mediated isothermal amplifcation(PURE-LAMP)method with dried blood spots as an alternative diagnostic method for malaria in the context of low to very low rates of transmission.Methods Febrile and afebrile people were recruited from three administrative divisions within Haiti:Nippes,Sud and Grand’Anse,during the summers of 2017(early August to early September)and 2018(late July to late August).Their blood samples were tested by microscopy,rapid diagnostic tests(RDT),PURE-LAMP and nested PCR to detect Plasmodium infection.Sensitivity,specifcity,positive and negative predictive values and kappa statistics were estimated with the nested PCR results as the gold standard.Results Among 1074 samples analyzed,a positive rate of 8.3%was calculated based on the nested PCR results.Among febrile participants,the rates in 2017 and 2018 were 14.6%and 1.4%,respectively.Three positives were detected among 172 afebrile participants in 2018 by PURE-LAMP and nested PCR,and all three were from the same locality.There was no afebrile participants recruited in 2017.The PURE-LAMP,RDT and microscopy had respective sensitivities of 100%,85.4%and 49.4%.All of the testing methods had specifcities over 99%.Conclusions This study confrmed the high performance of the PURE-LAMP method to detect Plasmodium infection with dried blood spots and recommends its use in targeted mass screening and treatment activities in low endemic areas of malaria.展开更多
In-depth interviews with local Haitian volunteers trained in a psychological disaster recovery program called Health Support Team(HST) provide insight into the psychosocial outcomes resulting from their engagement wit...In-depth interviews with local Haitian volunteers trained in a psychological disaster recovery program called Health Support Team(HST) provide insight into the psychosocial outcomes resulting from their engagement with the program. Qualitative interviews were conducted with four male Haitian participants who had survived the January 2010 Haiti earthquake and had worked as HST volunteers for at least 6 months. Interviews were analyzed using narrative inquiry analysis, which allows individuals to discover and disclose a deeper meaning in their experience and enables the researchers to access more detailed data. Previous research supports the claim that volunteerism provides many important psychological benefits, and the results of the present study suggest that among survivors of large-scale disasters, volunteerism is beneficial as a means of increasing psychological resilience and facilitating personal recovery. Results and themes of our analysis included a reported increase in both hope and purpose for the respondents. Findings suggest that volunteerism on the part of members of the surviving community following large-scale disaster increases resilience among the volunteers and further contributes to their recovery.展开更多
文摘In recent decades,Haiti has been subject to man-made and natural disasters that have left its citizens vulnerable to a range of shocks.With a weak state unable to protect its populace,Haitians are exposed to some of the highest levels of poverty and violence in the Western Hemisphere.In recent years,Haitians have experienced two crises that this study analyzes:the instability and political violence of“peyi lòk”as well as the global pandemic of COVID-19.This community-based assessment explores the impact of these two crises on the mental health and psychological well-being of 38 Haitian university students in the understudied northern part of the country.Results indicate that both crises had similarities related to their psychological effects on young people,most notably in terms of traumatic experiences related to threats or violence,forced confinement,and large increases in population-wide uncertainty.Additionally,the extreme violence of“peyi lòk”and the widespread unpredictability of COVID-19 and its effects in the early days of the pandemic resulted in high levels of stress and fear.Both crises also resulted in extreme economic hardship for students,with many reporting difficulties accessing basic needs such as food and water.This study highlights how converging population-level crises in“complex emergencies”can heighten trauma and compromise mental health.
文摘In this paper a Photovoltaic (PV) system was designed for the Port-Margot School Solar Project in Haiti. This off-grid system consists of PV panels, inverter, battery storage and other components such as fuses, dc/ac disconnects and transformers [1]. Sizing the PV to fit on the roof was determined. The battery storage and inverter were chosen to be installed in the school building. The expected energy production was compared with data file from NASA website. The KW PV system was chosen to be the most effective and demonstrating renewable technologies and reducing the electrical load of the school.
文摘Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and presents a unique scenario for the food and agriculture industry, because there is no food safety legislation. The application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) leads to improvements of quality, safety and sustainability of agricultural products. The purpose of the study was to assess the status of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in cocoa and coffee farms in Northern Haiti. A general survey captured information about the farmer and the farm, and an audit checklist was used to assess compliance to GAPs. A total of 11 farms (n = 11) were audited, of which 7 were cocoa farms (64%) and 4 were coffee farms (34%) in the regions of Dondon, Limonade and Milot. Average overall audit scores for coffee farms (73%) were higher than for cocoa farms (55%). Farms affiliated with a cooperative scored higher (78%) than those that were not part of a cooperative (55%). The sections of the survey on “Practices related to premises and production site”, and the “use of agricultural inputs and chemicals” received the lowest scores but were confined to the cocoa farms. “Record keeping” plus “distribution, transportation, and traceability” were cause for concern with both the cocoa and coffee farms. Critical non-conformances included the access of livestock animals and domestic pets to processing and storage areas, the lack of control in the application of agricultural chemicals, a lack of safeguards on equipment and elevated surfaces, and washing of fresh cocoa beans to remove the mucilage with water that had not been treated or tested for potability. The root cause of the non-conformances, regardless of the commodity, was either related to poor physical and organizational infrastructures, or to a lack of technical training.
文摘Background Malaria continues to cause burden in various parts of the world.Haiti,a Caribbean country,is among those aiming to eliminate malaria within a few years.Two surveys were conducted in Haiti during which we aimed to evaluate the performance of the simple and rapid procedure for ultra-rapid extraction-loop-mediated isothermal amplifcation(PURE-LAMP)method with dried blood spots as an alternative diagnostic method for malaria in the context of low to very low rates of transmission.Methods Febrile and afebrile people were recruited from three administrative divisions within Haiti:Nippes,Sud and Grand’Anse,during the summers of 2017(early August to early September)and 2018(late July to late August).Their blood samples were tested by microscopy,rapid diagnostic tests(RDT),PURE-LAMP and nested PCR to detect Plasmodium infection.Sensitivity,specifcity,positive and negative predictive values and kappa statistics were estimated with the nested PCR results as the gold standard.Results Among 1074 samples analyzed,a positive rate of 8.3%was calculated based on the nested PCR results.Among febrile participants,the rates in 2017 and 2018 were 14.6%and 1.4%,respectively.Three positives were detected among 172 afebrile participants in 2018 by PURE-LAMP and nested PCR,and all three were from the same locality.There was no afebrile participants recruited in 2017.The PURE-LAMP,RDT and microscopy had respective sensitivities of 100%,85.4%and 49.4%.All of the testing methods had specifcities over 99%.Conclusions This study confrmed the high performance of the PURE-LAMP method to detect Plasmodium infection with dried blood spots and recommends its use in targeted mass screening and treatment activities in low endemic areas of malaria.
文摘In-depth interviews with local Haitian volunteers trained in a psychological disaster recovery program called Health Support Team(HST) provide insight into the psychosocial outcomes resulting from their engagement with the program. Qualitative interviews were conducted with four male Haitian participants who had survived the January 2010 Haiti earthquake and had worked as HST volunteers for at least 6 months. Interviews were analyzed using narrative inquiry analysis, which allows individuals to discover and disclose a deeper meaning in their experience and enables the researchers to access more detailed data. Previous research supports the claim that volunteerism provides many important psychological benefits, and the results of the present study suggest that among survivors of large-scale disasters, volunteerism is beneficial as a means of increasing psychological resilience and facilitating personal recovery. Results and themes of our analysis included a reported increase in both hope and purpose for the respondents. Findings suggest that volunteerism on the part of members of the surviving community following large-scale disaster increases resilience among the volunteers and further contributes to their recovery.
