Ultrasound Outreach and the Crisis in Haiti

Address correspondence to Alfred Z. Abuhamad, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 825 Fairfax Ave, Room 310, Norfolk, VA 23507-1912 USA. E-mail: abuhamaz@evms.edu larming rates of maternal and infant mortality exist in the developing world, with no significant improvement over the past decade. Obstetric ultrasound may play a role in reducing these rates by identifying at-risk pregnancies and directing their deliveries to an inpatient setting where the ability to transfuse blood and perform a cesarean delivery exist. Recently, the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) formed an Outreach Committee with the mission of promoting the education, training, and availability of ultrasound in underserved communities around the world with the goal of enhancing maternal and perinatal health. This narrative represents an account of a recent trip to Haiti in January 2010. About 8 months ago, the ISUOG Outreach Committee planned a third trip to Haiti for the week of January 10–16, 2010. The purpose of this trip was to provide more training and education in the use of ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology to a group of local physicians and midwives that work for Zanmi Lasante. Comprising 10 health departments and hospitals, Zanmi Lasante is a nongovernmental organization in Haiti that provides free medical and social care to the central plateau region, recognized as the poorest area of the country. The Haiti ISUOG outreach program has been a successful collaboration between ISUOG, Zanmi Lasante, Partners in Health, the Haitian Minister of Health, and General Electric Corporation. As part of this collaboration, 10 ultrasound machines were donated to Zanmi Lasante health centers, and 2 prior ISUOG outreach trips, in December 2008 and May 2009, provided basic training in ultrasound.