Medicines for Humanity (MFH), headquartered in Rockland, MA, recently honored The Daughters of Charity -- Haiti with its 2014 Humanitarian of the Year Award. Ceremonies were held at The Harvard Club in Boston.

Medicines for Humanity, a non-profit and non-governmental organization dedicated to reducing child mortality in impoverished communities worldwide, has been partnering with The Daughters of Charity since 2009 to address the high child mortality rates in Haiti.

In Haiti, one out of 8 children dies before their 5th birthday. Statistics reveal nearly three quarters of the Haitian population are considered poor (living on less that $2 per day per person) and 54 percent of Haiti’s 8.5 million people are extremely poor (less than $1 per day per person). HIV prevalence is 5.6 percent. Forty-six percent of Haitians do not have sustainable access to potable water, while thirty-four percent live without adequate sanitation.

In her acceptance speech, Sr. Gloria said, “We try to prevent children from dying each day… and as we try to deal with the overwhelming demands we face… we are grateful for the expertise and experience of the MFH staff and all the resources MFH provides. You have supported our work since before the earthquake… helped us respond to the emergency, and stood by us as we recover and rebuild our capacity. We thank you because we feel your love and your prayers supporting us as we work together to bring better health to the precious children of Haiti.”

Chaired by Mr. O’Neill, the MFH evening included a welcome reception, seated dinner, entertainment by vocalist Claudia Eliaza plus a video presentation detailing the organization’s remarkable work in Haiti. Attended by 180 guests, the evening raised more than $300,000 for MFH's ongoing work providing essential medical care for children in need around the world.

To learn more about Medicines for Humanity’s humanitarian projects around the world, visit http://medicinesforhumanity.org/.