Dr. Mirta Roses will deliver a briefing about the international health response in Haiti, led by PAHO/WHO in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and other aid organizations. Dr. Roses will highlight at the 128th WHO EB session important issues related to the International Health Response, one year after the devastating earthquake and 3 months into the cholera outbreak in Haiti.

During her presentation on 19 January 2010 in Geneva, Dr. Mirta Roses will focus on the lessons learned so far by the U.N. Health Cluster, and on general recommendations to deliver public health measures that are more immediate and effective and to improve health and humanitarian response in general.

The situation in Haiti has pushed the international system beyond its limits after the earthquake and with the addition of the cholera outbreak. The response needs to be wide, with strong and integrated partnerships firmly endorsed by the national governments. A key challenge has been coordinating the 400+ organizations and agencies participating in the health response to the earthquake and the cholera epidemic.