Working towards health: A model of cervical cancer screening and treatment for factory employees in Haiti.

Objective: In Haiti, cervical cancer continues to cause high levels of mortality and morbidity due to lack of resources and political unrest. Haitian women employed in factories are especially vulnerable because they are unable to take time away from work to access health resources. We aimed to describe a low-cost intervention which successfully addressed this need.

Cardiovascular Health in a Single Community in Rural Haiti: A Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: There is a growing burden of cardiovascular disease in low- and middle-income countries and assessment of cardiovascular health (CVH) may identify populations at risk for poor CVH.

Methods: Between July 2014 and August 2014, we performed a household survey from a convenience sample among adult community members in rural northern Haiti. We used a modified World Health Organization STEPwise approach to chronic disease questionnaire to capture self-reported data on tobacco, diet, physical activity, and diabetes, and measured blood pressure and body mass index.

Gene Sequencing for Pathogenic Variants Among Adults With Breast and Ovarian Cancer in the Caribbean.

Importance: Rates of breast and ovarian cancer are high in the Caribbean; however, to date, few published data quantify the prevalence of inherited cancer in the Caribbean population.

Objective: To determine whether deleterious variants in genes that characterize the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome are associated with the development of breast and ovarian cancer in the English- and Creole-speaking Caribbean populations.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This multisite genetic association study used data from germline genetic test results between June 2010 and June 2018 in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago.

A model for point of care testing for non-communicable disease diagnosis in resource-limited countries.

Non-communicable disease diagnosis frequently relies on biochemical measurements but laboratory infrastructure in low-income settings is often insufficient and distances to clinics may be vast. We present a model for point of care (POC) epidemiology as used in our study of chronic disease in the Haiti Health Study, in rural and urban Haiti. Point of care testing (POCT) of creatinine, cholesterol, and hemoglobin A1c as well as physical measurements of weight, height, and waist circumference allowed for diagnosis of diabetes, chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemias, and obesity.

A mixed methods, community-based investigation on women's cancer awareness in Haiti.

Despite a high number of cases, the awareness of breast and cervical cancer in Haiti and other low and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains relatively unknown. The objective of the research was to understand perceptions and attitudes towards breast and cervical cancer in Haiti through community-engaged research. We report Haitians perceptions of breast and cervical cancer symptoms, diagnosis, complications, treatment, community support and access to medical services.

Cervical cancer treatment in Haiti: A vertically-integrated model for low-resource settings.

•Raising awareness is critical to any cancer program and through our outreach events we were able to educate 33,258 women.•We have treated over 4500 women with VIA and cryotherapy or thermocoagulation.•At least 30 of our patients are currently receiving individualized chemotherapy, whether neoadjuvant, adjuvant or palliative.

New Methodologies for Global Health Research: Improving the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Survey Model Through Participatory Research in Haiti.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) survey models are a common tool used by researchers and global health practitioners to reveal insights necessary for health program design and implementation. We explore how an interdisciplinary team of medical practitioners, researchers, designers, and community members improved the KAP survey tool in Haiti by drawing on participatory research methods. The overall objective of the project was to build a new approach to investigating and meeting community health needs and specifically the challenges faced by women with breast and cervical cancer in Haiti.

Epidemiological, Clinical, and Histopathological Features of Breast Cancer in Haiti.

Purpose: Little is known about the epidemiology of breast cancer in developing countries, and Haiti has perhaps the least data of any country in the Western Hemisphere.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients enrolled in an ongoing breast cancer treatment program in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2017. Data were drawn from each patient's electronic medical record, paper chart, and biopsy results.

Presentation, Treatment, and Outcomes of Haitian Women With Breast Cancer in Miami and Haiti: Disparities in Breast Cancer-A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: We compared a cohort of Haitian immigrants with residents in Haiti with breast cancer (BC) to evaluate the effects of location on presentation, treatment, and outcomes.

Patients And Methods: Participants were Haitian women with BC living in Miami who presented to the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital and women with BC living in Haiti who presented to the Innovating Health International Women's Cancer Center. The primary outcome was the relationship between location, cancer characteristics, and survival.

A national trauma capacity assessment of Haiti.

Background: Trauma systems in high-income countries have been shown to reduce trauma-related morbidity and mortality; however, these systems are infrequently implemented in low- and middle-income countries. Haiti currently lacks a well-resourced and structured trauma system and in turn loses an estimated 800,000 y of healthy life to injuries annually. In the present study, we perform a nationwide trauma capacity assessment, and using the World Health Organization's Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care as a framework, we attempt to identify achievable steps that can be taken toward improving trauma care in Haiti.

Operational implementation and lessons learned from Haiti's first helicopter air ambulance.

Critical-care helicopter transport has demonstrated improvements in morbidity and mortality to those patients who utilise the service, but this has largely excluded developing country populations due to set up costs. Haiti Air Ambulance is the first completely publicly-available helicopter ambulance service in a developing country. US standards were adopted for both aviation and aeromedical care in Haiti due to proximity and relationships.

Development of a Breast Cancer Treatment Program in Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Experiences From the Field.

Purpose: The nonprofit Project Medishare launched a breast cancer treatment program in Port-au-Prince in July 2013 to address the demand for breast cancer care in Haiti. We outline the development of the program, highlight specific challenges, and discuss key considerations for others working in global oncology.

Methods: We reflected on our experiences in the key areas of developing partnerships, building laboratory capacity, conducting medical training, using treatment algorithms, and ensuring access to safe, low-cost chemotherapy drugs.

Building Advanced Surgical Capacity at a Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

To improve surgical capacity in developing countries, we must take a multifaceted approach that addresses all aspects of surgery in a hospital. Foreign non-governmental organizations with expertise and resources can play a role in helping to build surgical capacity in developing countries. Episodic surgical missions can contribute to reducing the burden of the disease, but must be coupled with training of local staff to assure capacity for the future.

Assessing the Global Burden of Ischemic Heart Disease: Part 1: Methods for a Systematic Review of the Global Epidemiology of Ischemic Heart Disease in 1990 and 2010.

Background: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. The GBD (Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors) study (GBD 2010 Study) conducted a systematic review of IHD epidemiology literature from 1980 to 2008 to inform estimates of the burden on IHD in 21 world regions in 1990 and 2010.

Methods: The disease model of IHD for the GBD 2010 Study included IHD death and 3 sequelae: myocardial infarction, heart failure, and angina pectoris.

The efficacy of online communication platforms for plastic surgeons providing extended disaster relief.

Background: Immediately after the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, plastic surgeons provided disaster relief services through the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine for 5 months. To improve surgical care and promote awareness of plastic surgery's role in humanitarian assistance, an online communication platform (OCP) was initiated. An OCP is a Web-based application combining Web blogging, picture uploading, news posting, and private messaging systems into a single platform.

Accelerating surgical training and reducing the burden of surgical disease in Haiti before and after the earthquake.

In general, university-based global health initiatives have tended to focus on expanding access to primary care. In the past, surgical programs may have been characterized by sporadic participation with little educational focus. However, there have been some notable exceptions with plastic surgery volunteer missions.

Factors associated with inpatient mortality in a field hospital following the Haiti earthquake, January-May 2010.

Objective: To describe factors associated with inpatient mortality in a field hospital established following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Design: Data were abstracted from medical records of patients admitted to the University of Miami Global Institute/Project Medishare hospital. Decedents were compared to survivors in terms of age, sex, length of stay, admission ward, diagnosis, and where relevant, injury mechanism and surgical procedure.

Coronary heart disease and stroke attributable to major risk factors is similar in Argentina and the United States: the Coronary Heart Disease Policy Model.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Argentina and the U.S. Argentina is 92% urban, with cardiovascular disease risk factor levels approximating the U.

Haiti's dilemma: how to incorporate foreign health professionals to assist in short-term recovery while capacity building for the future.

Ten months after the earthquake in Haiti, the beleaguered public health system is worse than ever. In a country that spent $58 per person per year on health care prior to the earthquake, the Ministry of Health must now deal with the excess morbidity from the disaster with even fewer resources. The healthcare system will be burdened with the increased mortality rates of victims of traumatic injury for up to 40 years.