VPI Nutrition Program Brings Health and Hope to Undernourished Children

Starting a new program serving some of the most remote and difficult to reach communities in rural Haiti isn’t easy. It requires cooperation and communication between the Haitian health care workers, nurses and physicians. It involves the complex logistics of traveling and bringing necessary medications and supplements to communities that can only be reached by motorcycle. Most of all, the program demands professional and empathetic interactions that foster trust and can result in lasting improvements for the health and well being of underserved children and families.

This fall marks the second year since VPI launched its Healthy Futures nutrition program serving the most remote outlying areas surrounding Mombin Crochu, Haiti. Since the program has been in place, thousands of children have been evaluated and those identified with severe or acute malnutrition have been treated or hospitalized. In addition, nurses have made numerous home visits to deliver nutritional supplements, monitor progress, and conduct life-saving education with families about nutrition, safe food preparation, and family planning. Even with an active program in place, the desperate need of people living in these communities remains a crushing reality. Severely malnourished children are still being identified and their families continue to be in need of support and relief from their circumstances.

VPI values the partnerships we are able to create and we are grateful for the dedication of the Haitian health professionals we partner with as well as the generosity of our private donors and grant funders. Through these partnerships, we are committed to improving lives in rural Haiti. We believe that building a program that is sustainable with the goal of eliminating malnutrition deaths is the most important aspect of improving the prospects for a healthy future for children in the underserved regions of Haiti. It is a complicated process and a complex problem that must be addressed with real solutions for long-term success. This week, Dr. Sylvia Campbell, MD, along with Jennifer Reynolds, MPH-CHES and Jean Neptune, RN will travel to Haiti to assess needs and further document the nutrition program. We wish them safe and productive travels and look forward to hearing more about how VPI is impacting the communities surrounding Mombin Crochu.

Terry Leigh Deal
September 15, 2019