The Pest Management Industry Responds to Desperate Plea from Haitian Minister of Environment

 It’s estimated that more than 230,000 people lost their lives in the Haitian earthquake on January 12 th of this year  Immediate humanitarian aid flooded Haiti as global citizens opened their hearts and checkbooks  Four months later, the country has not yet started on rebuilding as they are still in salvation mode  Diseases from pests threaten to compromise rebuilding – and basic human health

 Haitians are at risk from a myriad of diseases transmitted by pests. The list is long and the list contains diseases we know to fear:  Malaria  Dengue Fever  Plague  West Nile Virus  E-coli  Salmonella  Rabies  And increased incidents of Asthma Attacks

 The Haitian Minister of Environment reached out to the National Pest Management Association, through a Haitian pest management firm  The message was clear: WE NEED HELP!  12 industry professionals spent three days visiting Haiti in early May to assess needs and develop a response plan.

Even those who had homes still standing were afraid to return to them in case another earthquake hit. This woman and her child just drank from a raw sewage pump.

Sanitation conditions have never been stellar in Haiti; but the recent disaster has created unfathomable conditions. Here’s the public landfill, where it was not uncommon to see animals and people alike searching for anything of use.

After visiting tent cities, hospitals, and waste management facilities and after hours of discussion with Haitian officials, our delegation decided to commit our industry to Protecting Public Health in Haiti. We will focus our efforts on hospitals, facilities treating those who are already vulnerable, to minimize further health complications.

 NPMA will raise at least $250,000 to support pest management initiatives for hospitals in Port Au Prince, Haiti.  NPMA will use the collected funds for maintenance to medical facilities that will minimize entry points for pests, the purchase of products designed to prevent pest infestations from buildings, training of Haitian workers so they can properly perform pest control operations, and a PSA campaign to educate Haitians on general daily steps they can take to minimize threats of pests, and accordingly the diseases they carry.

Our Approach Stems from This Parable: “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime“

One of the most exciting approaches to our plan for Haiti is that we will do more than just fix their problems – we will hire and train Haitian workers so they know how to handle pest problems in the future. By hiring workers, we will infuse much needed money into their economy through developing a workforce. Most importantly, our plan will help immediately TODAY and will be sustainable into the FUTURE!

Efforts by pest professionals to eradicate pests from hospitals will minimize and prevent disease and WILL SAVE LIVES.

The most important non-industry resource right now is cash contributions. All cash collected will allow us to obtain the materials needed to fight the serious pest problems through hiring workers and using our experts to provide training. Funds will be used for a much needed public education campaign to Haitians as well. Together we can help them.

Contributions can be sent to: The Pest Management Foundation/Haiti c/o The National Pest Management Association North Street Fairfax, VA Tax ID #: