Haiti commemorates sixth anniversary of 2010 earthquake
Haiti commemorated the sixth anniversary of the 2010 earthquake today with wreath-laying ceremony at the site of a mass grave. President Michel Martelly was joined by first lady Sophia Martelly and Prime Minister Evans Paul at Parc Christophe.
Today is “a day of reflection” so Haitians can remember the “dimensions of what happened,” Martelly said.
“We amplified it because we didn’t construct well; we didn’t properly prepare ourselves, we didn’t really secure the people in respect to the construction codes so we could avoid this catastrophe,” he said. “Today, is an opportunity for us to say ‘We’re going to do better; we’re going to do better at all levels, not just in construction but in our attitude.’ ”
“While we’re here, people are outside and are criticizing our presence in this room and everything that happened that led us here,” said Andris Riche, president of the Senate. Monday’s session took place despite the political turmoil rumbling in the country, over the very seats that many are occupying. Twenty-six senate seats and six deputy seats are being contested.
Glaucoma research to be conducted for Miami’s Haitian community
The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute will launch a genetic studies program in Miami’s Haitian community to identify a gene that may be linked to glaucoma.
The study, which is funded by Luz Maria and Alfredo Gutierrez, will also work on a research program in Haiti to test whether a “relatively new laser treatment” is the ideal treatment for “a resource-poor country disproportionately affected by glaucoma.”
Studies show there is a higher occurrence of glaucoma in the Haitian-American population, with 26 percent of Haitian-Americans displaying signs and symptoms of various stages of glaucoma.