Our Work
SPHASH ensures the best possible medical care in the Artibonite Valley by supporting the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Haiti. The measures for this program focus on three projects: the children’s clinic, social services, and the Tienne health center with its mobile clinics.
The Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Haiti (or HAS, as insiders call it) was founded in 1956 and has since fundamentally improved the health situation in the Artibonite Valley, which now has a population of over 450,000.
Inspired by the work of Albert Schweitzer, the successful American couple Larimer and Gwen Mellon decided to change their lives and open a hospital in central Haiti. HAS is and always has been financially and politically independent of the state and government. Likewise, religious neutrality has been practiced from the very beginning.
Our goals
The quality and impact of the selected projects is a high priority for SPHASH. These projects aim to provide the catchment area of 450,000 people with the most comprehensive medical care possible for their children. Medium-term goals include the development of diagnostic and therapeutic options, particularly in the children’s clinic, laboratory, and nursing service, in collaboration with Haitian hospital staff and hospital management. It is important to us to honor and respect Haitian culture and to work as a team in which everyone feels they are in the right place.
Our vision
Our vision of a hospital run entirely by Haitians has become a reality thanks to our efforts! It is very important to us that this remains the case and that the hospital continues to serve the health needs of the local population in accordance with Albert Schweitzer’s guiding principle of “reverence for life.” Since its founding in 1956 by Gwendolyn and Larimer Mellon, HAS has been operating around the clock. We want to maintain high-quality healthcare and create attractive jobs for local professionals. We dream of one day being able to step back, because then financial support will no longer be necessary. The road may seem long and rocky, but we will not lose sight of our goal.
Right now, the Haitian civilian population is facing major challenges due to the precarious security situation. This makes it all the more important to maintain a well-functioning healthcare system.
Would you like to learn more about our projects?
To the projects