Martissant in Haiti - Where violence is the first cause of mortality

Since December 2006, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been working in the slum of Martissant, in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, to assist a population that is heavily affected by the violence between different armed groups. The medical team has an emergency room where they stabilize the patients and refer those in need of surgery to other hospitals in the city. Mobile clinics also provide medical aid in different locations of the slum.

In August 2007 MSF carried out two mortality surveys in the slums of Cité Soleil and in Martissant, in the capital city Port-au-Prince, with the aim of understanding the impact of violence on these populations. The results confirmed violence as the first cause of mortality in the slums.

Today MSF is the only organisation providing healthcare to the population of Martissant. As we have already highlighted to the international community and the Government of Haiti, a larger response is necessary to assist a population that is left alone to cope with a violent environment. Public health services must re-engage in the area, at least to provide basic primary healthcare.

> Violence, Mortality and Access to Health Care in Cité Soleil
> Violence, Mortality and Access to health care in Martissant