362 US Route 1, Falmouth, ME 04105 USA

                                                                    phone 207.347.6733  fax 207.347.6734  www.konbitsante.org                                                        e-mail [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

08/27/18

Konbit Sante raising funds to avert health crisis in Portland sister city

FALMOUTH, Maine―Konbit Sante, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that partners with medical facilities in north Haiti, is raising funds for the construction of a new clinic in an impoverished area near Cap-Haitien, the sister city of Portland, that is essential for the residents’ future as a healthier, self-sustaining community. Local donations and support are needed for the clinic to become a reality.

ULS (United de Lutte pour la Sante, or “Fighting Unit for Health”) has operated a primary care health center in Bande du Nord since 2010. Although Bande du Nord is not far from the urban center of Cap-Haitien, many of its 25,000 residents live on rural mountainsides and lack road access to other medical facilities. As it is the only fixed center for health care in the community, it is an essential component to providing emergency, preventative and primary care; medicines; immunizations; simple lab tests; ready-to-use therapeutic foods for the treatment and prevention of childhood malnutrition; and family planning and other services. The clinic serves an estimated 400 clients per month, and provides services whether patients can pay or not―often, the staff has worked on a volunteer basis when funds were low.

The ULS clinic is now at a critical juncture. It leases a building that is not suitable for its needs but was initially made available at low cost. However, the current lease expires in December, and the owner wants to increase the rent. Konbit Sante has partnered with ULS since 2012, and since spring 2018 has been raising funds to build a permanent clinic on land purchased by ULS as well as to support training and programs once the clinic opens. Konbit Sante also provided professional medical engineers and architects who volunteered their time to survey the land and design a simple yet effective facility with room for future expansion.

More than $100,000 has been procured for this project, which has allowed site excavation to occur and construction to begin. An additional $50,000 needs to be raised to secure matching funds and reach the project’s total estimated cost of $200,000 and ensure that a gap in health care does not occur for the residents of Bande du Nord.

Konbit Sante works with partners who have shown that they embrace the concept of building a health-care system with Haitian direction and management, and that can be sustained over the long-term. From ULS’ beginning, it has demonstrated that it has understood that positively impacting the health status of the community depends on more than just good medicine, and as a result has developed programs and services that support good nutrition, economic well-being and education. It also works closely with people of the community, including creating a community advisory board to help with its work.

From Sept. 5-11, Dr. Maudelin Mesadieu, director of the ULS health center, will visit Maine to participate in a private fundraising party and interact with donors, the media, and community leaders to foster support for the campaign. A video of Dr. Mesadieu explaining the work of the ULS center, the new clinic, and its partnership with Konbit Sante may be viewed at tinyurl.com/ulsclinic.

For more information about Konbit Sante or ULS, visit konbitsante.org. Donations made be made by visiting konbitsante.org, by calling (207) 347-6733, or by emailing [email protected].

MEDIA CONTACT:

Rod L. Harmon

Communications Coordinator

Konbit Sante Cap-Haitien Health Partnership

Work: (207) 347-6733

Cell: (207) 522-4479

Email: [email protected]

PHOTO CAPTIONS FOR 09/09 KONBIT SANTE FUNDRAISER

1.Mesadieu: Dr. Maudelin Mesadieu, director of the ULS clinic in Bande du Norde, Haiti, conducts a medical examination of a toddler at the current ULS clinic.

2.Site Work 1: Dr. Maudelin Mesadieu, director of the ULS clinic in Bande du Norde, Haiti, directs workers on the site of a new primary care clinic that will replace the current one. The lease on the current clinic expires in December.

3.Site Work 2: Workers move gravel at the site of a new primary care clinic in Bande du Nord, Haiti.

4.The foundation has been erected for a new primary care center in Bande du Nord, Haiti, and work has begun on installing electrical and plumbing systems.

Credit for all: Konbit Sante