The conference brought together thought leaders from the scientific community with some 120 participants to discuss how to provide autonomous, skilled healthcare professionals to meet Haiti’s growing needs.
The Ministry of Health presented its plan for Haitian healthcare reform and its needs in terms of human resources for the next decade. Representatives from medical, nursing and medical technology schools shared their training capacities for healthcare professionals.
The conference brought to light the causes of certain roadblocks slowing the development of a healthcare system covering the entire Haitian population.
The strategies and partnerships that need to be established to address the major issue of finding a long-term, local solution for educating healthcare professionals were presented during workshops which featured examples from other countries faced with similar situations.
Professor Jean-William Pape, Founder and Director of the GHESKIO Centers, highlighted several innovative programs, including the nursing specialization program. Among others, he cited Fondation Mérieux’s involvement through the Bachelor of Science in Biological and Applied Medical Sciences (BAMS), which has trained 44 Haitian laboratory technicians since 2007.
About the Charles Mérieux Conferences
The Charles Mérieux Conferences are based on the concept of “global health”, which embraces the 3 pillars of development: health, education, and economic power. They were initiated in 2007, the centennial of Dr. Charles Mérieux, the Mérieux Foundation’s founder, and bring together education stakeholders in the field of health from around the world. The theme of each edition is inspired by one of Dr. Mérieux’s famous quotes: “Health and education are essential roots of any individual and collective development”.