Honorable John F. Kelly Secretary of Homeland Security

3801 Nebraska Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20016

Dear Secretary Kelly:

We are a group of physician mothers writing to express our deep concern over the dire public health circumstances in Haiti and the prospect of returning 50,000 Haitians to life-threatening medical conditions if Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is not extended. Haiti’s massive 2010 earthquake was followed by a cholera epidemic that killed over 9,200 people.[1] Most recently, in October 2016, Hurricane Matthew unleashed a second outbreak of the disease.[2] Devastated by earthquakes and hurricanes, Haiti's fragile health system was unable to combat one of the most vicious cholera epidemics in recent global history. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded 41,421 registered cases of cholera and 447 deaths from the disease between January and December 2016.[3] Today, cholera remains a serious health risk. Unfortunately, the cholera epidemic is not the only significant medical challenge affecting the people of Haiti. The earthquake and hurricane overwhelmed Haiti’s infrastructure leaving Haitians without access to proper water and sanitation services. As a result, many Haitians suffer from the affects of water-born and mosquito-born diseases including Zika. As USAID notes Haiti reports some of the world’s worst health indicators, which continue to inhibit the country’s development. While Haiti has struggled with poor health outcomes for generations, the health system was further debilitated by the 2010 earthquake, which demolished 50 health centers, part of Haiti’s primary teaching hospital, and the Ministry of Health. Only a few months later, Haiti’s health care network was further strained by the country’s first cholera outbreak in a century. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, significant challenges remain to increase access to and utilization of improved water and sanitation services that are key to improving health and well-being.[4] These deadly health threats jeopardize the safety and well-being of 50,000 Haitians currently in the United States under TPS. We urge you to extend the protection of TPS for an additional 18 months to ensure that these Haitians are shielded from the disastrous health conditions currently confronting Haiti.

Sincerely,

Physician Mothers

1. Rick Gladstone, Cholera Deaths in Haiti Could Far Exceed Official Count, NY Times (Mar. 16, 2016).

2. World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization, Hurricane Matthew – Haiti, (Oct. 13, 2016).

3. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Haiti Humanitarian Snapshot, (Feb. 7, 2017).

4. USAID, Global Health: Haiti (Mar. 23, 2017).