Milestones in the Carter Center's Initiative to Help Accelerate
Elimination of Malaria and Lymphatic Filariasis
from Hispaniola

In September 2008, The Carter Center, in partnership with the Dominican Republic and Haiti, launched a historic one-year initiative to help the two countries and their other partners accelerate the elimination of two devastating mosquito-borne infections—malaria and lymphatic filariasis—from Hispaniola. As long as malaria and lymphatic filariasis exist on any part of their shared island, these preventable diseases will needlessly threaten the rest of the region with tragic human and economic consequences.

2009

July

The binational plans for elimination of malaria and lymphatic filariasis from the island of Hispaniola are started.

May

With support from The Carter Center, health workers distribute 2,000 long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) to prevent lymphatic filariasis in Trou-du-Nord, Haiti.

March

With support from The Carter Center, health workers distribute 6,000 LLINs in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.

January

The binational programs conducted disease mapping of endemic areas to better target prevention efforts.

Health workers in Dajabón, Dominican Republic, treated mosquito breeding sites with insecticide to lower the mosquito population that could transmit malaria.

2008

December

With support from The Carter Center, health workers distribute 6,000 LLINs in Dajabón, Dominican Republic.

Laboratory technicians and community health agents were trained in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.

November

The Carter Center provided technical support to the binational program as it reintroduced active malaria case detection in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, which was now a part of the binational effort.

Carter Center-supported binational training in malaria monitoring and treatment is conducted.

A health education brochure was developed by the Dominican Republic to be used in the distribution of LLINs by both the Haitians and Dominicans.

October

A binational committee was formed to provide technical support to malaria and lymphatic filariasis elimination efforts. The binational committee was composed of representatives of the two respective national ministries of public health and local health workers from the Dajabón and Ouanaminthe communities.

September

The Carter Center launches the Hispaniola Initiative based on the 2006 ITFDE recommendation.

2006

May

The Carter Center's International Task Force for Disease Eradication (ITFDE), a group of global health experts, finds that it is "technically feasible, medically desirable, and would be economically beneficial" to eliminate malaria and lymphatic filariasis from the island of Hispaniola. The Task Force encourages the international community to assist the Dominican Republic and Haiti in this effort.