During the pandemic, other public health threats do not wait to strike. Disease outbreaks and natural disasters may overlap, disrupting the public health system, devastating economies, and threatening the social fabric of communities. On August 14, 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti’s southwestern region, killing more than 2,240, injuring approximately 12,700, and threatening the country’s health security. CDC immediately activated an Incident Management System (IMS)— a temporary, formal organization structure to coordinate an emergency response — and recruited experts from across the agency to respond to the earthquake. By leveraging existing President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) agreements alongside global health security (GHS) investments, CDC collaborated with in-country partners, the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), the Haitian directorate for potable water and sanitation (DINEPA), and the National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP). Together, they quickly responded to lead the earthquake response without neglecting other public health priorities in Haiti, such as COVID-19 and waterborne diseases.
Entire content available on: https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/fieldupdates/2021/haiti-earthquake-response.html
