On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. More than 220,000 people died, 300,000 were injured, and 1.5 were left displaced or homeless. The quake was one of the deadliest natural disasters in the 21st century. Another earthquake in 2021 killed about 2,200 people, injured 12,000 more, and displaced about 650,000.
McCoy concludes that Haitian earthquakes showed incremental gains in resilience, including reduced mortality despite a stronger quake and more rapid epidemiological surveillance. The author emphasizes that future efforts must prioritize infrastructure resilience and work to ensure effective WASH systems to prevent secondary outbreaks like cholera. Ultimately, national preparation funding is necessary, according to McCoy.