FOTCOH’s programs bring to life our mission of providing healthcare and hope to the people of Haiti. At our 6,000 square-foot clinic in Cyvadier, as well as out in the community, FOTCOH’s devoted team of medical professionals, administrative staff, and volunteers provide critical health and education services to more than 15,000 Haitians each year. Read on to learn about our impactful programs and discover how you can become involved.
Vital Health Clinics
Held quarterly, FOTCOH’s Vital Health Clinics provide life-saving medical care to the Haitian community. Patients often travel many hours on foot to reach the clinic and access our quality, reliable, compassionate care.
FOTCOH’s staff and devoted volunteers treat approximately 2,000-3,000 patients per quarterly clinic. The top medical conditions treated during Vital Health Clinics include hypertension and/or diabetes, asthma, pregnancy, severe skin infections and burn injuries, and malnutrition in children.
Urgent Care
Our weekly Saturday Urgent Care clinics began in February 2020 with the purpose of providing routine, year-round, and preventative care to the Haitian community in between the quarterly Vital Health Clinics. Typically, our team of Haitian staff members serves approximately 25-50 patients during each Urgent Care clinic.
The most common services offered during our weekly Urgent Care clinics include treating patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, scabies, ear infections, and minor injuries. Through our Urgent Care clinics, we also provide prenatal care, well-child visits, and many other treatments.
WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) Program
45% of Haitians in rural areas do not have access to clean drinking water, and 80% of Haitians lack access to improved sanitation facilities [1]. FOTCOH’s WASH Program aims to combat these statistics by providing the Haitian community with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to nurture good hygiene practices. This program is operated in partnership with Hands Helping Haiti and Wine to Water.
Through the WASH Program, our goal is to distribute water filters to 600+ families annually. Each filter lasts for around 10 years. We also test household water quality, construct latrines, distribute more than 1,000 hygiene kits each year, and lead educational clinics in the community. Our interactive educational clinics teach children and adults proper handwashing techniques, safe food preparation methods, and daily dental hygiene practices. FOTCOH’s WASH Program also teaches Haitian families about safe water treatment, storage, and handling.
Dental Program
When left untreated, dental issues can become very painful and even life-threatening. In Haiti, most dentists practice in the capital of Port Au Prince (90+ kilometers, or nearly 60 miles from FOTCOH’s clinic). The Haitian Times has reported that the country has only one dentist for every 10,000 people, compared with 6+ dentists per 10,000 people in the U.S. With barriers of distance, cost, and availability, the majority of Haitians simply do not have access to dental care.
FOTCOH’s growing Dental Program will provide critical dental services at our clinic in Haiti. Our trained staff will work alongside volunteer dentists and dental technicians. Our goal for this program is to provide routine cleanings, oral surgery and extractions, dental education, and more. Our volunteers have shared that the most rewarding part of their experience is seeing patients smile at the end of a clinic visit!
Surgical Program
FOTCOH’s Surgical Program provides surgery for our Haitian patients during our Vital Health Clinics. Through this program, a Haitian surgeon and his team perform surgery at a nearby hospital. Without this program, the patients we care for would otherwise not be able to afford surgery or do not have access to a sanitary, safe environment in which to have a procedure of any kind.
To date, FOTCOH’s team has been honored to perform more than 1,500 surgical procedures. Our top surgical priorities include patients with significant pain, disability, or the possibility of cancer. From surgical supplies to anesthesia to post-operative care, FOTCOH’s Surgical Program helps our patients receive the surgical care they need and deserve.
Women’s Health Initiative
FOTCOH’s newest program is the Women’s Health Initiative which focuses on breastfeeding education, providing prenatal vitamins, and infant vitamin drops to the most vulnerable Haitians: pregnant women and infants. For example, 58% of Haitian women give birth without a skilled birth attendant present [2] – and once a child is born, they have a 10.8x higher chance of dying before the age of 5 in Haiti than in the U.S. [3].
As part of this initiative, our Medika Mamba Program provides critically-needed nutritional support for malnourished children, with a 90%+ success rate. For a donation of just $70, you can ensure that one child is enrolled in this life-saving program.
Download FOTCOH’s brochure to learn more about our programs.
FOTCOH’s work is only possible thanks to generous supporters like you. Make a donation today, and you’ll help provide healthcare and hope to the people of Haiti.
Program Partners
DV Medic
