Pierre Réginald Boulos published research on public health in Haiti

Pierre Réginald Boulos conducted research in Cité Soleil, Haiti, to address public health challenges regarding measles, HIV, and tuberculosis.

Working with the Centers for Development and Health (CDS) and Johns Hopkins University, Boulos collaborated with Haitian colleagues and international researchers like Dr. Neal Halsey. His work resulted in 22 scientific publications that provided evidence to international public health journals. Boulos and his team studied childhood measles vaccination to determine the safest timing for infants.

A 1985 study of 595 infants showed that children could develop effective antibody responses despite malnutrition or minor illnesses. These findings supported the World Health Organization recommendation to vaccinate infants as soon as they reach nine months of age. A 1990 study in the same community further confirmed that vaccinated children had significantly lower mortality rates. The researchers also investigated the spread of HIV in Haiti during the 1980s.

By testing 4,474 pregnant women, they documented rising HIV prevalence and found that children born to mothers with the virus faced higher risks of premature birth and early death. Additional studies examined HIV in breast milk to help communities understand transmission risks and the need for prevention measures. To address tuberculosis, Boulos and his colleagues tested a supervised treatment model to make care more affordable and effective for people with limited resources.

A 1996 study of 427 patients showed that more than 90% of participants adhered to the regimen. The treatment achieved cure rates of 81% for patients with HIV and 87% for those without HIV.