title: Malaria elimination in Haiti by the year 2020: an achievable goal?
abstract: Haiti and the Dominican Republic, which share the island of Hispaniola, are the last locations in the Caribbean where malaria still persists. Malaria is an important public health concern in Haiti with 17,094 reported cases in 2014. Further, on January 12, 2010, a record earthquake devastated densely populated areas in Haiti including many healthcare and laboratory facilities. Weakened infrastructure provided fertile reservoirs for uncontrolled transmission of infectious pathogens. This situation results in unique challenges for malaria epidemiology and elimination efforts. To help Haiti achieve its malaria elimination goals by year 2020, the Laboratoire National de Santé Publique and Henry Ford Health System, in close collaboration with the Direction d'Épidémiologie, de Laboratoire et de Recherches and the Programme National de Contrôle de la Malaria, hosted a scientific meeting on "Elimination Strategies for Malaria in Haiti" on January 29-30, 2015 at the National Laboratory in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The meeting brought together laboratory personnel, researchers, clinicians, academics, public health professionals, and other stakeholders to discuss main stakes and perspectives on malaria elimination. Several themes and recommendations emerged during discussions at this meeting. First, more information and research on malaria transmission in Haiti are needed including information from active surveillance of cases and vectors. Second, many healthcare personnel need additional training and critical resources on how to properly identify malaria cases so as to improve accurate and timely case reporting. Third, it is necessary to continue studies genotyping strains of Plasmodium falciparum in different sites with active transmission to evaluate for drug resistance and impacts on health. Fourth, elimination strategies outlined in this report will continue to incorporate use of primaquine in addition to chloroquine and active surveillance of cases. Elimination of malaria in Haiti will require collaborative multidisciplinary approaches, sound strategic planning, and strong ownership of strategies by the Haiti Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire National de Santé Publique, Rue Chardonnier #2 and Delmas 33, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. jboncy2001@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Paul Jacques
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Boncy
authors.affiliation: Direction d'Épidémiologie, de Laboratoire et de Recherches, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. padrien2004@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Adrien
authors.affiliation: Programme National de Contrôle de la Malaria, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. tileum@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jean Frantz
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lemoine
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire National de Santé Publique, Rue Chardonnier #2 and Delmas 33, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. alexandre.existe@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Existe
authors.affiliation: Point focal OHMaSS/Programme National de Contrôle de la Malaria, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. phenry@ohmasshaiti.org.
authors.forename: Patricia Jean
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire National de Santé Publique, Rue Chardonnier #2 and Delmas 33, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. raccurt@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raccurt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Research for Development, Dakar, Senegal. Philippe.Brasseur@ird.fr.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brasseur
authors.affiliation: Direction d'Épidémiologie, de Laboratoire et de Recherches, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. nataelflaco@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Natael
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fenelon
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. damej@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Dame
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. bokech@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Bernard A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Okech
authors.affiliation: Henry Ford Health System, 2799 W. Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA. lkaljee@med.wayne.edu.|Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA. lkaljee@med.wayne.edu.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaljee
authors.affiliation: Henry Ford Health System, 2799 W. Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA. dbaxa1@hfhs.org.|Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rocheste, MI, 48309, USA. dbaxa1@hfhs.org.
authors.forename: Dwayne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baxa
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Vac4All, Hôpital Cochin, 75014, Paris, France. prieur@vac4all.org.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prieur
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. elbadrym@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Maha A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El Badry
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. mstagliamonte@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Massimiliano S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tagliamonte
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. cmulligan@ad.ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Connie J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Mulligan
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. tamarec@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Tamar E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. madsenbeau@phhp.ufl.edu.
authors.forename: V Madsen
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Beau de Rochars
authors.affiliation: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA. chelsealutz@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Chelsea
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.affiliation: Henry Ford Health System, 2799 W. Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA. dparke1@hfhs.org.
authors.forename: Dana M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Parke
authors.affiliation: Henry Ford Health System, 2799 W. Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA. mzervos1@hfhs.org.|Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA. mzervos1@hfhs.org.
authors.forename: Marcus J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zervos
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D060740:Disease Eradication; D006205:Haiti / Q000453:epidemiology; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials