We are thrilled to announce a transformative partnership between Hands Up for Haiti and Second Mile Haiti, an organization we’ve proudly collaborated with for over 12 years. Second Mile Haiti operates two maternity centers, with a third opening soon. They provide holistic, comprehensive care for pregnant women, including safe births in their maternity centers or transfers to hospitals for emergencies. Last year, they provided care for over 1,500 mothers and their newborns. www.secondmilehaiti.org
What will HUFH bring to this joint program?
In 2025, we will launch the Kairam Clinics for Children at all three centers, offering vital preventative pediatric care for all babies delivered at Second Mile Haiti Maternity Centers. With protocols written by the HUFH Pediatric Advisory Committee and in cooperation with the Haitian Ministry of Health, our Haitian doctors and nurses will ensure these children receive regular checkups, vaccinations, and screenings for malnutrition.
Why ‘1000 babies for 1000 days’ ?
The “First 1000 days” is the period from pregnancy to age two, a time of both tremendous potential and vulnerability. How well or poorly mothers and children are nourished and cared for during this time profoundly impacts a child’s ability to grow, learn, and thrive.
What will happen to the HUFH Prenatal program?
Second Mile Haiti will care for our pregnant patients going forward. In addition to regular medical care, they provide education on breastfeeding, childbirth, nutrition, and pregnancy prevention. Importantly, every baby born at Second Mile receives a birth certificate and is registered with the Ministry of Health, providing proof of citizenship and access to vaccination programs.
What makes this program so innovative?
Preventative Care? Holistic Treatment? These are not words usually associated with Haiti or other poorly resourced countries. This partnership will significantly expand Hands Up for Haiti’s impact, providing a healthy start for over a thousand babies each year. With the care of pregnant women through Second Mile and our care of the babies through the Kairam Clinics, we hope to prevent malnutrition and other life-threatening diseases, educate and support families, and give every baby the best possible chance to survive and thrive.
This collaboration continues the legacy of Dr. Hemant Kairam, a pediatrician and global health leader who established Hands Up for Haiti’s first preventative pediatric program for children. Sadly, we lost Dr. Kairam in 2020; he believed that every child deserves the chance to grow up healthy, no matter where they are born.
HELP US TO HONOR HEMANT’S LEGACY AND REACH OUR 2025 GOAL:
ENROLL 1000 BABIES FOR WELL-CHILD PREVENTATIVE CARE
GIVING THEM THE BEST CHANCE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE
