Campaign to raise awareness and change public opinion regarding tourism (MAG HAITI)
It is under the theme "Zafè touris zafè tout moun" that a campaign will take place to raise awareness and change the public’s attitude regarding tourism.
According to information available on the site of the Ministry of Tourism, this campaign, which was first launched, on Friday, June 30th, 2017, will extend over from June 30th till September 30th, 2017.
"Reinforcing in the Haitian people a sense of pride for their rich history and their cultural heritage, and to encourage the development of a positive outlook and responses from the owners, the operators and employees of tourism and at every level of the population." These at the main objectives of this campaign.
“Zafè touris zafè tout moun” is a campaign which is going to focus on the concepts of Welcome-Respect and Responsibility. "We launched this awareness campaign to involve the Haitian population in the cause of tourism," declared Secretary Columbe Emilie Menos at the official opening of the campaign held at the ministry.
Source: Radio Metropole Haiti
The oldest mammal in the world finds itself in Haiti, with 78 million years of existence
The University of Illinois and the University of Puerto Rico completely sequenced the mitochondrial genome of the Solenodons Hispaniola, filling the last major branch of placentary mammals on the tree of life.
The study, published in Mitochondrial DNA, confirmed that the venomous mammal diverged from all other living mammals 78 million years ago, well before an asteroid swept away all dinosaurs.
"It is just impressive, that it survived for such a long time," declared the first co-author Adam Brandt, a post-doctoral researcher in Illinois. "It survived the asteroid; it survived human colonization, and the rats and mice human brought with them, which decimated the closest relatives of the Solenodons,"
The study also takes into account recent results that show the Dominican Republic contains genetically different populations in the North and the South which should be preserved as different subspecies. The study revealed that the population in the South has not much diversity, while the population of the northeast is more diversified.
Scientists have different hypotheses about the way the solenodons came to live on the island of Hispaniola. Some geologists think that the island was a part of a volcanic arch connected to Mexico 75 million years ago and that over time the arch moved eastward. Another possibility is that they floated on a piece of wood to the island.
What they do know is that because its closest ancestors disappeared a long time ago, the SOLENODON of today is the only vestige of a very old group of mammals. While the solenodon is venomous and looks like a "huge rat with Freddy Krueger's claws," according to Roca, It evolved in the absence of carnivores. Today, it is threatened by cats and dogs introduced by man, as well as the loss of its housing environment.
The Dominican Republic made this study possible by supporting the collection of samples. The authors include: Yashira M. Afanador-Hernández; Liz A. Paulin; William J. Murphy; Adrell Núñez; Aleksey Komissarov; Jessica R. Brandt; Pavel Dobrynin; J. David Hernández-Martich; Roberto María; Stephen J. O Brien; Luis E. Rodríguez; and Juan C. Martínez-Cruzado.
Haiti among the 50 best soccer teams in the world
By Milo Milfort
Inactive for three months, the male Haitian soccer selection placed 49th in the last world ranking by FIFA published on July 6th, 2017. With 667 points behind Algeria, the country went up 15 places and collected 113 points when compared to its ranking from last July.
Violent winds in Gonaïves cause one fatality and significant damages
A person was killed on Wednesday evening in Gonaïves when a tree branch fell while was her car. Sixty houses were flooded and fifteen others were severely damaged.
It was near 5 o'clock in the afternoon. The wind very blew hard on the city of Gonaïves, creating an atmosphere of total panic. According to local officials a tropical wave passed through and caused violent wind gusts and pouring rain. Roofs of houses and trees were not able to resist the power of the wind. The rains which accompanied the winds caused the flooding in several houses.
The damage report was still preliminary according to Faustin Joseph, technical departmental coordinator of civil protection. The most affected zones are: Assipha, Seprenn, Man's wood, Pont-Gaudin, Pont-Quenêpe and the Plain of Gonaïves.
Joseph used this opportunity to draw the population’s attention to the hurricane season. He warned of possible damages during this period. Joseph repeated that the population’s vigilance is necessary. They must always be tuned to the radio in order to be informed on weather conditions. People living on the banks of gullies have to be alert and ready to evacuate. Houses must be strengthened in their openings (doors, windows) without forgetting roofs.
The City of Independence is considered vulnerable to flooding. From the beginning of the hurricane season, up to now, authorities have not taken any concrete precautionary measure to reassure the population. Joseph, often mentioned a lack of financial means. In the face of this situation, the population hasn’t stopped expressing its concern. It’s demanding that the appropriate authorities assume their responsibility during this time by taking measures to limit damages in case of possible natural disasters.
Haiti could stem cholera epidemic by end 2018: health officials
By Makini Brice | PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
Haiti could stem its seven-year-long cholera epidemic by the end of 2018 as the number of reported cases has dropped sharply, government and United Nations officials said.
The health ministry said Haiti has had about 7,400 suspected new cholera cases since the start of the year, compared with almost 20,200 at the same point last year.
"We have never seen so few cases," Donald Francois, head of the health ministry's national cholera program told Reuters in an interview. "With the cases we've seen we think we can eliminate cholera by the end of 2018."
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There were more than 18,600 cases in the first six months of 2015 and some 7,451 in the same period in 2014, according to health ministry figures.
An estimated 9,300 people have died and more than 800,000 have fallen ill from cholera since U.N. peacekeepers accidentally introduced the disease in 2010 when they dumped infected sewage into a river outside of Port-au-Prince.
A program to provide residents with water purification tablets and efforts to find the source of new outbreaks has likely led to the decline in cases, said Marc Vincent, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative for Haiti.
A cholera vaccination drive in November targeting more than 800,000 people also probably boosted immunity, Vincent said.
Still, with funds to combat cholera slow to trickle in and Haiti needing vast improvements to its water and sanitation systems, the country remains vulnerable to new outbreaks.
About 40 percent of Haiti's population are without daily access to clean water and less than one in four residents has regular use of a toilet, according to Pan-American Health Organization and World Bank figures.
"The number of reported cases can certainly decline dramatically and even fall to zero. Most likely, though, there will continue to be a low-level number of cases, maybe seasonally, maybe year-round," said Ronald Waldman, a global health professor at George Washington University.
Waldman said Haiti could expect periodic spikes of cholera during natural disasters such as hurricanes.
Former U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon apologized in December for the handling of the outbreak and announced a $400-million trust fund to fight cholera and to rebuild communities struck by the illness.
But countries have been slow to contribute to the fund. So far, seven countries have given $2.67 million, nearly all of which has been spent, according to the United Nations.
Haiti could stem its seven-year-long cholera epidemic by the end of 2018 as the number of reported cases has dropped sharply, government and United Nations officials said.
The health ministry said Haiti has had about 7,400 suspected new cholera cases since the start of the year, compared with almost 20,200 at the same point last year.
"We have never seen so few cases," Donald Francois, head of the health ministry's national cholera program told Reuters in an interview. "With the cases we've seen we think we can eliminate cholera by the end of 2018."
There were more than 18,600 cases in the first six months of 2015 and some 7,451 in the same period in 2014, according to health ministry figures.
An estimated 9,300 people have died and more than 800,000 have fallen ill from cholera since U.N. peacekeepers accidentally introduced the disease in 2010 when they dumped infected sewage into a river outside of Port-au-Prince.
A program to provide residents with water purification tablets and efforts to find the source of new outbreaks has likely led to the decline in cases, said Marc Vincent, the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative for Haiti.
A cholera vaccination drive in November targeting more than 800,000 people also probably boosted immunity, Vincent said.
Still, with funds to combat cholera slow to trickle in and Haiti needing vast improvements to its water and sanitation systems, the country remains vulnerable to new outbreaks.
About 40 percent of Haiti's population are without daily access to clean water and less than one in four residents has regular use of a toilet, according to Pan-American Health Organization and World Bank figures.
"The number of reported cases can certainly decline dramatically and even fall to zero. Most likely, though, there will continue to be a low-level number of cases, maybe seasonally, maybe year-round," said Ronald Waldman, a global health professor at George Washington University.
Waldman said Haiti could expect periodic spikes of cholera during natural disasters such as hurricanes.
Former U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon apologized in December for the handling of the outbreak and announced a $400-million trust fund to fight cholera and to rebuild communities struck by the illness.
But countries have been slow to contribute to the fund. So far, seven countries have given $2.67 million, nearly all of which has been spent, according to the United Nations.
(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Grant McCool)