Middle Eastern Virus More Widespread Than Thought 28 February 2014

http://news.sciencemag.org/africa/2014/02/middle-eastern-virus-more-widespread-thought

Middle Eastern Virus More Widespread Than Thought

28 February 2014 12:45 pm

Bernard Gagnon/Wikimedia Commons

Trail of infection. Scientists have found MERS virus in camels from Sudan and Ethiopia, suggesting the virus is more widespread than previously thought.

It's called Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, after the region where almost all the patients have been reported. But the name may turn out to be a misnomer. A new study has found the virus in camels from Sudan and Ethiopia, suggesting that Africa, too, harbors the pathogen. That means MERS may sicken more humans than previously thought—and perhaps be more likely to trigger a pandemic.

MERS has sickened 183 people and killed 80, most of them in Saudi Arabia. A couple of cases have occurred in countries outside the region, such as France and the United Kingdom, but those clusters all started with a patient who had traveled to the Middle East before falling ill.

Scientists have uncovered more and more evidence implicating camels in the spread of the disease. They found that a large percentage of camels in the Middle East have antibodies against MERS in their blood, while other animals, such as goats and sheep, do not. Researchers have also isolated MERS virus RNA from nose swabs of camels in Qatar, and earlier this week, they showed that the virus has circulated in Saudi Arabian camels for at least 2 decades.

Malik Peiris, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Hong Kong, and colleagues expanded the search to Africa. In a paper published last year, they showed that camels in Egypt carried antibodies against MERS. For the new study, they took samples from four abattoirs around Egypt; again they found antibodies against MERS in the blood of 48 out of 52 camels they tested. But the most interesting results came from taking nose swabs from 110 camels: They foundMERS RNA in four animals that had been shipped in from Sudan and Ethiopia.

Peiris cautions that it is unclear whether the infected camels picked up the virus in Sudan and Ethiopia or on their final journey in Egypt. Abattoirs could help spread MERS just like live poultry markets do for influenza, he says. "You cannot point the finger exactly at where those viruses came from," he says. "But I would be very surprised if you do not find the virus in large parts of Africa."

If so, that changes the picture of MERS considerably. No human MERS cases have been reported from Egypt or anywhere else in Africa, but if camels are infected, they may well occur, says Marion Koopmans, an infectious disease researcher at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. "It would be important to look systematically into that," she writes in an e-mail. "Health authorities really need to test patients with severe pneumonia all across Africa for MERS," Peiris says.

The researchers were able to sequence the virus of one of the camels almost completely, and it is more than 99% identical with viruses found in people. "I would be very surprised if this virus cannot infect humans," says Christian Drosten, a virologist at the University of Bonn in Germany. But the virus also shows a few intriguing differences from known camel samples, he says. "We have to analyze this carefully in the next few days, but it looks like this sequence broadens the viral repertoire found in camels," he says. If the viruses found in camels show more genetic variation than those isolated from humans, that is further strong evidence that camels are infecting humans and not the other way around.

Anthony Mounts, the point person for MERS at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, says that it is very likely that human MERS cases occur in Africa. "Wherever we find [infected] camels, there is a good chance we'll find [human] cases if we look closely," he says. And humans may be exposed to camels in Africa much more often than in the Middle East: There were about 260,000 camels in Saudi Arabia in 2012, but almost a million in Ethiopia and 4.8 million in Sudan, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. The more human cases there are, the higher the risk that the virus will one day learn how to become easily transmissible between people, which could set off a pandemic.

The researchers also looked at the blood of 179 people working at the camel abattoirs for antibodies against MERS virus, but found none. That shows that the virus is only rarely successful in infecting human beings, Peiris says. "What we need to find out now is the reason for these rare transmissions."

Community Need to Know: LEPC and TRI Pollution Prevention Search Tool in your area.

Check your community emergency management office\agency for their Local Emergency Planning Committee or LEPC for hazards in your community.  If no LEPC in your jurisdiction, 'WHY NOT?'

Try the Enhanced TRI Pollution Prevention Search Tool!

Do you know what industrial facilities in your area are doing to reduce toxic chemical pollution?  Do you know how they measure up against other facilities across the country? We've expanded our TRI Pollution Prevention (P2) Search Tool, and its new interactive graphics show how facilities in your neighborhood compare to similar facilities across the country when it comes to pollution prevention progress. You can also use the TRI P2 Search Tool to: Track individual facility performance with respect to P2 and waste management; Identify facilities that reported the largest reductions in toxic chemical releases; Identify the P2 measures that were most effective for a given industry or chemical; Compare waste management practices and trends for facilities within a sector; and Overlay TRI charts with data from the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) to get a more holistic picture of sustainability. To learn more about TRI's P2 information, visit our P2 webpage.  TRI - it's your right to know. For more information about EPA's Toxics Release Inventory:  http://www.epa.gov/tri T

6 things home insurance won't cover

http://money.msn.com/insurance/6-things-home-insurance-wont-cover


By Chris Kissell, Bankrate.com

Your insurer won't take care of everything life throws at you and your house. If one of these happens to you, you're probably on your own.

Hazards home insurance doesn't cover

When disaster strikes your home, home insurance is supposed to be there to help you pick up the pieces. Most of the time, it does.

But the coverage does have limits, says Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, an industry group based in Greenwood Village, Colo.

"Many people don't take the time to understand what is and isn't covered and mistakenly assume insurance will pay for any type of damage," Walker says.

A Bankrate survey found that 81 percent were aware flooding is not covered by regular homeowners insurance. You may have heard earthquakes also require special coverage. Yet you may not know that there are other types of damage that are excluded from most policies as well.

Walker says many policyholders learn about the exclusions the hard way.

"We often hear from people that the only time they think about what their insurance covers is when they go to file a claim," she says. "Of course, then it's too late."

Following are six hazards a standard home insurance policy may not cover.

Mold

At least 1,000 species of mold are common to the United States, according to the New York-based trade group the Insurance Information Institute. A breakout of splotchy mold on walls not only looks disgusting but also is a health risk that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says can bring about symptoms similar to allergies or even breathing difficulties.

Despite the threat, a standard homeowners insurance policy generally either limits coverage for mold damage or outright excludes it, says Loretta Worters, an Insurance Information Institute vice president.

Some insurers offer an endorsement to expand coverage limits for mold claims but only if you are willing to pay more for your insurance, she says.

The best cure for mold is to prevent it from growing in the first place. If the basement floods after a rainstorm or a pipe is leaking, eliminate the moisture promptly, Worters says.

"Even a spill on the carpet should be dried within 24 to 48 hours," she says.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says homeowners generally can clean up mold themselves if the affected area is less than about 10 square feet. Otherwise, it is best to call in an expert.

Sewer backup

America's sewer lines are rapidly aging, with some more than 100 years old. As more homes have been connected to these out-of-date lines, sewage backups have followed.

Other sources of backups include pipelines that handle both stormwater and raw sewage -- and become overwhelmed in rainstorms -- and blockages from tree roots that work their way into sewer-line cracks.

When a sewer backs up into a home, it can damage floors, walls, furniture and electrical systems.

Walker says standard homeowners insurance does not cover sewer backups. If you are worried about being unprotected, she has some advice.

"Consider extra insurance that may be available as endorsements to your policy for risks such as sewer backups," she says.

The Insurance Information Institute says sewer-backup damage often can be covered for an additional premium of just $40 to $50 per year.

Sinkholes

Sinkholes can seem like something out of a horror movie. For example, there was the Florida man who was swallowed up in early 2013 when a sinkhole opened without warning beneath his bedroom.

Sinkholes are sudden gaps in the earth's surface that occur after groundwater gradually dissolves rock such as limestone and carries bits of it away, creating large pores and cracks in bedrock. Once large cavities form underground, the land above it may suddenly settle or collapse, creating the sinkhole.

In the United States, sinkholes tend to cause the most problems in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Most home insurance policies will not cover damage associated with "earth movement," such as an earthquake or sinkhole.

"Florida is the only state in which insurers are required to provide coverage for sinkhole damage," Worters says.

Florida insurers must include insurance for "catastrophic ground cover collapse" -- which refers to damage so severe, the home is uninhabitable -- as part of standard homeowners insurance.

Worters adds that in Tennessee, insurers must offer optional sinkhole coverage for an additional price.

"In every other state, earth movement is excluded from the insurance policy," she says.

Termite infestation

Colonies of anywhere from a few hundred to several million termites can quietly and methodically devastate your home.

Wood, paper and dead plant material that is in contact with soil near the house provides termites with a ready source of food and an entry. And moisture accumulated around foundations and in poorly ventilated crawl spaces gives termites a source of water they need to survive.

Over time, termites can damage or destroy support beams and other wood features in a house. The National Pest Management Association estimates that termites cause $5 billion in damage in the U.S. each year.

If these unwanted guests cause wear and tear to your home, do not expect your insurer to bail you out, says Janet Patrick, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Insurance Association, an industry lobbying organization in Springfield, Ill.

"Homeowners policies do not pay for termite damage," she says.

For that reason, Patrick recommends having a licensed pest control company take a look at your home to make sure it is termite-free.

"Homeowners can avoid structural damage with early intervention," she says.

Nuclear plant accidents

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, says nearly 3 million Americans live within 10 miles of an active nuclear power plant. If an accident at a nearby reactor leaves your home uninhabitable, standard homeowners insurance will not cover the claim. But that does not mean you will be unprotected.

A 1957 federal law called the Price-Anderson Act compensates people in the United States for any damage or injuries resulting from a commercial nuclear accident.

The law was called upon after the nation's worst nuclear accident, at the Three Mile Island plant near Harrisburg, Pa., in 1979.

"The insurance paid for the living expenses of families who decided to evacuate," Worters says.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says an insurance pool of more than $12 billion is available to pay out claims.

Claims covered under Price-Anderson include:

• Bodily injury.
• Sickness.
• Disease resulting in death.
• Property damage and loss.

In addition, individuals evacuated from an affected area can expect reimbursement for reasonable living expenses beyond what you ordinarily pay. "The coverage does not pay your mortgage, does not pay for your normal food bills," Worters explains.

Some acts of terrorism

The Boston Marathon bombings were a reminder that terror can strike at any moment.

The Insurance Information Institute says terrorist attacks using nuclear, biological, chemical or radioactive weapons are considered "acts of war" that are fundamentally uninsurable. Standard home insurance policies do not specifically reference terror attacks, Worters notes.

"However, the policy does cover the homeowner for damage due to explosion, fire and smoke," she says, adding that these are the most likely types of damage a home would suffer in a terrorist incident.

If you own a condominium or co-op, the policy you carry on your individual unit will protect your structure and possessions from damage related to a terrorist attack.

However, damage to common areas -- including the roof, basement, elevator, boiler and walkways -- is not covered unless your board purchases separate terrorism coverage, Worters says.

NIH Health Disparities Seminar: Sick and Tired (Because) of Racism. Thursday, February 20, 2014

GUEST SPEAKER

David H. Chae, ScD, MA

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology

University of Maryland School of Public Health College Park, MD

PRESENTATION TITLE

Sick and Tired (Because) of Racism: Socio-Psychobiological Pathways of Embodiment

DATE/TIME

Thursday, February 20, 2014

3:00 P.M. - 4:30 P.M.

LOCATION

NIH Campus

Natcher Conference Center, Building 45, Conference Rooms E1 and E2

45 Center Drive

Bethesda, MD

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

In his presentation, Dr. David H. Chae will describe social and psychobiological pathways of embodiment linking racism and health. He also will discuss his research on racism at the area-level and disparities in Black-White mortality, his findings on racial discrimination and cardiovascular disease, and his studies integrating the role of internalized racism as a risk factor for aging at the cellular level. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. David H. Chae is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. His research focuses on how dimensions of racism generate racial disparities in health. He also studies how racism at the area-level impacts health and mortality. Dr. Chae is currently the principal investigator of a K01 career development award from the National Institute on Aging to study links between racial minority stress and risk factors for accelerated biological aging. He was a W.K. Kellogg Pre-Doctoral Fellow in Health Policy at the Harvard School of Public Health and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco. Dr. Chae earned a doctoral degree in Social Epidemiology at Harvard University and an MA in Psychology from Columbia University Teachers College.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: There is limited parking on the NIH campus. The closest Metro is Medical Center. Please allow adequate time for security check. The seminar will be video cast for archive purposes only. It will be available in the NIH Video archives and on the NIMHD website after the seminar. Sign language interpreters will be provided. Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations to participate should contact Edgar Dews at 301-402-1366 or the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339.

Institute of the Black World 21st Century. Revisiting Haiti after 19 years. Haiti is too rich to be poor.

Revisiting Haiti after 19 years By Don Rojas “Haiti is too rich to be poor”. This seemingly contradictory statement uttered by a well-known Haitian educator the night before our departure echoed repeatedly in my mind as I flew back to the USA after a brief but eventful visit to Haiti in mid-February, 2014. To be sure, we had witnessed the bone-crushing material poverty in the cities and towns of Haiti. We had seen the horrible conditions that millions of people are forced to endure each day. We had traveled by mini-van from Cap Haitien (Haiti’s second city and original capital) in the North passing through many rural towns and villages along the route to Port-au-Prince in the South and all along the way we saw evidence of dire economic underdevelopment and social deprivation. But amidst these bleak scenarios, we also observed the rich spirit of a proud people with a unique history and a vibrant culture. We could see it in their eyes, hear it in their voices, feel it in their warm embraces, all of which served to remind us of the invaluable contributions of so many talented Haitian artists, writers, musicians and intellectuals to the enrichment of world culture. As I contemplated the words of the noted Haitian educator, many snapshot images of an intense four-day visit that had lodged somewhere in my sub-conscious mind began to surface, providing clarity and insight into the living paradox that is Haiti today. I recalled the impeccably dressed school girls in their pressed uniforms and with cute hair bows walking back from a day of learning to their tiny, mud-walled homes in villages perched on the steep hillsides of the mountain range where the great Citadel sits;and images of their mothers and grandmothers who, after sending these kids off to school, would venture into the fields to plow the land or to the rivers to wash their clothes; images of the enterprising and intelligent young crafts vendors and horse guides at the Citadel, barely literate youth who, nonetheless, can communicate effectively in the native tongues of visiting English, Spanish, Dutch and German-speaking tourists. On the flight back I recalled, as well, the young man walking by on the crowed sidewalk of a busy street in Port-au-Prince who saw when my wallet fell out of my pocket onto the ground, unbeknownst to me. He stopped and drew my attention to it. Without me noticing he could easily have picked it up and proceeded on his way but he chose to do otherwise. I breathed a sigh of relief, thanked him and silently praised this display of honesty and integrity in the midst of destitute poverty. Another unforgettable image that surfacedwas that of the man who heads up the cultural center in Milot, who had returned to his village after spending many years in New York because “there’s no place like home.” He spoke to our delegation as a proud and patriotic Haitian who had come back to help make a positive difference in the lives of his people. So maybe this is what Madame Marie really meant. Maybe she was pointing to the hidden truths inside the paradox while making a plea for us “foreigners” to look beyond the stereotypical depictions of Haiti, to search out and lift up the spiritual riches of a nation that are embedded, and often hidden, within its poverty, a richness that is ignored by the Western media. What her statement prompted in me was a profound question: with such monumental spiritual and intellectual richness, why then has Haiti remained the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere after more than 200 years of freedom and independence? The answer lies deep in the country’s tortured history over the past 200 years, a history markedboth by triumph and tragedy, historic victories and massive betrayals. The flip side of Haiti’s extreme poverty is extreme exploitation and systemic oppression at the hands of white supremacy spanning several generations. After defeating the powerful armies of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804, thus ending slavery and establishing the first Black Republic in the Western Hemisphere, the formerly enslaved Africans and their progeny found themselves paying a heavy toll throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries to Europeancolonialism and US imperialism for the “sin” of liberating themselves and for inspiring freedom fighters and independence movements throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as abolitionists and anti-slavery activists in the USA. Bonaparte, one of the greatest military minds in the history of Western civilization, and a proponent of white supremacy, once wrote, “my decision to destroy the authority of the blacks in Saint Domingue (Haiti) is not so much based on considerations of commerce and money, as on the need to block forever the march of the blacks in the world.” Commenting on the defeat of Napoleon’s military forces in 1804, Haitian scholar Pascal Robert wrote recently: “The Haitians had already decimated a huge British military expedition, killing over 10,000 British soldiers in less than two months, and repelled incursions by the Spanish Crown. Napoleon was determined to keep over 500,000 Black people in bone-crushing bondage in order to keep the lie of justified white domination over the affairs of the world alive. The importance of Haiti in choking the life out of that lie forevermore has not ceased. What Haitian people must understand is that our existence and history as a people is rooted in being a painful and uncomfortable reminder to the Western world that on January 1, 1804, white supremacy died a humiliating death, if at least for one day.” To punish this “impudent” Black country that had defeated white supremacy at the beginning of the 19th Century, the valiant people of Haiti were forced to pay billions in “reparations” to France throughout the 19th Century, suffer an invasion and years of occupation by the US military in the early part of the 20th Century, endure brutal dictatorships propped up by Washington in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, all of which was exacerbated bythe constant and systematic re-distribution of the country’s economic wealth upwards to the country’s 1% andto the corrupt elites that have dominated Haiti’s political economy for decades. I went to Haiti as part of a small delegation of seven from the USA that was organized and led by the indefatigable Dr. Ron Daniels, founder and President of the Haiti Support Project (HSP), an initiative of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century on whose board I now proudly sit. The delegation included three young leaders of the historic Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, none of whom had ever visited Haiti before. Their fraternity, like many other African-American organizations, had raised funds from its members to assist Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck the country in January 2010, leaving over 200,000 dead, close to two million homeless and vast property damage across the capital city and its environs. Now, four years after the earthquake, representatives of the fraternity had come to Haiti at the invitation of Dr. Daniels, to explore the possibility of financing the construction of a “model school” in collaboration with HSP. For the three young Kappa brothers, this was the trip of a lifetime—eye-opening, gut-wrenching, possibly even life-changing. By their own admission, they learned more about the stark realities of extreme poverty and economic under-development in four days than they had across entire semesters filled with courses in economics, political science, history, sociology and other related disciplines. Like me, they too were wrestling with how to reconcile the apparent contradiction stated so eloquently by that Haitian educator at a reception for a cross-section of Haitian civil society leaders who had worked with Dr. Daniels and HSP ever since he first took a delegation of African-American activists and scholars to visit Haiti in 1995. I was on that first pioneering delegation 19 years ago but had never returned to this fascinating country in the ensuing years. My friend and colleague Ron, on the other hand, had fallen in love with the people of Haiti, returning for countless visits, sometimes alone or with his wife, and oftentimes, with delegations small and large. Over the course of two decades, Ron and his Haiti Support Project team have built up an incredible track record of solidarity-based assistance to the people of Haiti, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars from African-American communities across the USA to finance a wide range of projects, from scholarships and school supplies for rural children to micro credit loans for artisans and agricultural workers. In the immediate aftermath of the massive earthquake in 2010, HSP raised over $300,000 in relief aid from African-American organizations, churches and concerned individuals. HSP’s concept of support and assistance are not based on the traditional models of charity that tend to patronize and dis-empower the poor with “acts of kindness”, no matter how well-intentioned, and which serve ultimately to re-produce dependency. On the contrary, HSP’s assistance to the people of Haiti is driven not by the “pity for the less fortunate among us” syndrome but rather by an understanding and appreciation of the country’s unique history and its rich culture and a desire to strengthen its independence and self-sufficiency. The primary objective of HSP’s various projects is to help empower and uplift the Haitian people and to contribute to the country’s national economic development. It is non-partisan yet profoundly political work, driven and guided by the ideals of Pan-Africanism. It respects the sovereignty of Haiti and adheres to the principle of non-interference in the domestic affairs of the country. As a result, HSP today enjoys the respect and admiration of civil society organizations that cut across political dividesboth in Haiti and within the Haitian-American communities. HSP’s main mission is to marshal moral, political and material support to assist the Haitian people to develop a strong and vital democratic society and a vibrant and sustainable economy as a free and self-determining people. The project seeks to build a constituency and base of support for Haiti in the US by focusing on mobilizing the human and material resources of African Americans in partnership with Haitian Americans. Working together these two Black communities can make a significant contribution to the process of democracy and development in Haiti. Beyond mobilizing material support and technical assistance for projects and programs initiated by organizations within the popular movement for democracy inHaiti (peasant, labor, women, youth, religious) and providing humanitarian relief in the event of natural disasters, HSP works to influence US foreign policy towards Haiti so that it conforms with the aspirations of the popular movement for participatory democracy inside the country. HSP also encourages support for investments in sociallyresponsible business and community economic development projects and enterprises in Haiti and has acted as a “good-faith facilitator and mediator” wherever and whenever appropriate to promote peace, justice, reconciliation and unity within Haitian society. In 2005, the Haiti Support Project sponsored two major symposia on the Future of Democracy & Development in Haiti, one in Washington DC, the other in Atlanta. The symposia brought together political parties, constituencies and leaders across the political spectrum to promote a national and international dialogue to explore the prospects of justice and reconciliation and the possibilities of a government of national unity. The symposia process was envisioned as a vehicle to bridge the deep divisions in Haitian society exacerbated by the US-backed ouster of President Jean Bertrand Aristide in 2004. Ten years later, HSP remains committed to continuing this process as a means of building and strengthening a culture of democracy in Haiti. In 2006, HSP launched a “Model City” project to transform the town of Milot in Northern Haiti into a “Mecca” for cultural-historical tourism and the foundation for people-based economic development. Milot is a town of some 40,000 residents located five miles fromthe mountain on which the great Citadel sits. The Citadel is one of the architectural and engineering wonders of the world, conceived by Black minds and built by the hands of former Black slaves who had won their liberation by defeating Napoleon’s occupation army in 1804. It was built by King Henri Christophe to defend the freed territory against any future attempts by France to re-take Haiti. For me and the rest of the delegation, visiting the Citadel during the recent trip to Haiti was akin to going on a pilgrimage to a shrine that symbolizes freedom and self-determination for Black people all over the world. It is the largest fortress in the Americas, declared by the United Nations a few years ago as a world heritage site….a truly breath-taking place with huge tourist potential. The town of Milot is the gateway to the Citadel and it is HSP’s intention to work with Milot’s residents to ultimately transform this lovely town into a showpiece that celebrates the history, ingenuity and freedom-loving spirit of the Haitian people. Dr. Daniels explains that this Model Cities Initiative (MCI) exemplifies HSP’s constituency building strategy of engaging the African-American community in collaboration with the Haitian-American community to mobilize development assistance for sustainable projects in Haiti. From the outset of the MCI, education has been a major priority. In recent years HSP has provided school supplies for up to 4,000 young students in Milot and scholarships for scores of the most needy students in the region. This assistance is channeled through a local development committee composed of civic-minded community leaders dedicated to making Milot a model city. “We want to enable the people who are committed to building the town to provide vital services,” says Dr. Daniels. “By so doing, the committee is able to more effectively engage residents in projects that advance the vision of creating a model city in Milot”. Central to HSP’s model city vision is the construction of a modern, fully equipped school/academy and Dr. Daniels hopes that African-American organizations such as the Kappa fraternity will consider supporting the establishment of the “Henri Christophe Academy,” an institution whose name will honor the memory of one of Haiti’s “founding fathers.” Today, 210 years after its liberation from French slavery and colonialism,Haiti continues its struggle to realize the promise and potential for meaningful independence and self-determination.Evidence of progress is starting to emerge. Post-earthquake re-construction, glitches notwithstanding, is well underway spurred on by the legendary resilience of the Haitian people. In recent years Haiti has broken out of its regional isolation and is now an active player in CARICOM, the Caribbean community of nations, and in ALBA, the organization working towards closer economic integration between Latin America and the Caribbean. Even though its economy grew by an impressive 5.6% in 2013, it will take a continuous flow of foreign aid coupled with sustained job growth and efficient economic management over the next several years to lift Haiti out of a state of extreme poverty. A very long road to recovery lies ahead and HSP and its collaborators will be fellow travelers on that road,marching hand-in-hand with the people of Haiti. Undeniably, the role of African-Americans, acting in concert with their Haitian-American sisters and brothers, is crucial to Haiti’s future.For a nation whose example inspired and informed the Black liberation struggle in the United States it can be argued that, in no small measure, Black people in this country have a moral duty to assist in Haiti’s overall economic and political development in the years ahead. As for me, I am determined that the long hiatus of 19 years not visiting this amazing country, will not be repeated. I plan to visit again with my friend Ron Daniels before the end of 2014 and to make whatever contribution I can to the noble work of the Haiti Support Project. Maybe on my next visit I will unravel new insights into Madame Marie’s tantalizing proclamation that Haiti is, indeed, “too rich to be poor.” For photos and videos of HSP’s recent trip to Haiti, click here.