LETTER FROM REPUBLIC OF HAITI TO SECRETARY LEAVITT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 001841 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS WHA/CAR PLEASE PASS TO NSC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPDC PREL HA SUBJECT: LETTER FROM REPUBLIC OF HAITI TO SECRETARY LEAVITT PORT AU PR 00001841 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. The following letter to Secretary Michael O. Leavitt from Haitian Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis was received by Embassy on November 16. Text is an English translation by the PM's office of the French original. The Embassy will pouch original letter to WHA/CAR Desk Officer Chris Ward for distribution. ¶2. Begin Text. Dear Secretary Leavitt: This letter serves as an official letter of support for a Project HOPE (henceforth referred to as ''Project HOPE'') initiative to establish a series of Medical Preparedness and Response Centers to serve as models in selected countries for their region. In addition, I am requesting that Haiti be considered as a model country for the project. The Executive Summary for the proposal for the ''Haitian Medical Preparedness and Response Center'' initiative proposed by Project HOPE is provided with this letter of support and request for your office to consider funding the project. As the initiative has been defined, a Haiti Medical Preparedness and Response Center would be established at a medical university in Haiti and will provide the following: (a) Advanced biosurveillance capabilities: similar to DHHS/CDC Biosense project; (b) Catastrophic illness and treatment scenario mapping; (c) Develop immunization and infection control tracking, reporting and documentation management systems; (d) Developing Pharmaceutical Labeling for catastrophic illnesses treatment, initially supporting pandemic and bioterrorism response; (e) Pharmaceutical Product Visibility, Monitoring and Tracking system capabilities; (f) Pharmaceutical and medical device distribution system requirements and government standards of operations; (g) BioProtectant products identification and utilization criteria for hard surface disinfection, hospital grade disinfection and decontamination; (h) Education and Training programs that support the project deliverables through In-country expertise to utilize, maintain and provide sustainable capabilities once the initial project is completed (a) through (e) above; (i) Provision of data collection tools for evaluation patients/victims on a daily basis, as well as, during a medical emergency. With this grant, the Haitian government through Project Hope would be able to design, develop, implement and operate the Medical Preparedness and Response Center for three years. During the three years of this project, space will be made available be made available for Project Hope and their team to work in the city of Port-au-Prince. Project HOPE, in keeping with its core mission of health education, would provide training such that the people of Haiti would be prepared to operate and expand the Center at the end of three years. Mr. Ryan Henry, United States Principal Deputy for Policy for the Under Secretary of Defense, stressed in an April 2007 during a trip to emerging countries, the need for the United States Department of Defense to provide humanitarian and civil affairs support of our developing nations as a demonstration of the Government of the United States desire to partner with other countries. After Mr. Henry's speeches on the importance of such humanitarian projects, Ms. Nicole PORT AU PR 00001841 002.2 OF 002 Lee, Executive Director of Trans Africa Forum, reinforced the need for the United States' government, especially the Department of Defense, to focus on Haiti's developmental assistance needs. Project HOPE has recognized the needs of Haiti and has developed this innovative medical preparedness and response center program to assist us in addressing this critical need. I sincerely support this initiative and hope you feel as strongly as I do that this noble effort will greatly benefit both our nations. Sincerely, Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS ¶3. End Text. SANDERSON