Haiti's Healthcare System

597 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essays on the history of haiti

The story of Haiti’s healthcare system is unfortunately tied all too closely to disaster, both man-made and nature-born. This paper will briefly discuss the pre-2010 earthquake healthcare environment in Haiti as the uncertainty that exists provides little opportunity to provide a reasoned understanding of its current national healthcare status.

As the most basic indicator of health, the life expectancy from birth in Haiti based on estimates by the World Health Organization is reported to be approximately fifty-five (55) years (although there are a variety of competing numbers provided by other sources). The infant mortality rate is approximately eight percent (8%) and the less than 5 years old mortality rate is over eleven percent (11.7%) (Population Reference Bureau, 2009).

Compounding these exceptionally troubling numbers is a significant population with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Again estimates vary, but the United Nations projects the national prevalence rate to be 4.5 percent of the population. Other estimates place the rate as high as 12 percent in the urban population and 5 percent in rural regions. As a small “win”, the infection rate for HIV/AIDS has recently shifted downward due to significant UNAIDS/WHO efforts (Haiti – Health).

The lack of clear statistics for health status however reflects the unfortunate lack of even the most basic of medical services to Haitians. For example, only one-fourth of births are attended by a skilled health professional (Population Reference Bureau, 2004). Further, most rural areas have no access to health care, making residents heavily reliant on “traditional” and often ineffectual folk treatments. Outside of the operations of relig...

... middle of paper ...

...y/world/haiti/health.htm

Haiti's Health Indicators Reflect Its Political and Economic Pains - Population Reference Bureau. (2004, January). Retrieved February 23, 2010, from http://www.prb.org/Articles/2004/HaitisHealthIndicatorsReflectItsPoliticalandEconomicPains.aspx

International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). (2010, February). Haiti: from tragedy to opportunity (Rep.). Retrieved February 23, 2010, from International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies website: http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/reports/192600-Haiti-report-EN.pdf

Haitian Medical Students in Cuba. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://www.medicc.org/ns/index.php?p=4&s=33

www.msh.org - Management Sciences for Health - Republic of Haiti. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2010, from http://www.msh.org/global-presence/latin-america-and-the-caribbean/Haiti.cfm

Show More
Related

  • Haitian Culture: Impact on Nursing Care

    1656 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Republic of Haiti is in the western part of the island of Hispaniola in the West Indies. It is densely populated and has the lowest per capita income in the western hemisphere (Kemp, 2001). The population of more than seven million is made up of mostly descendents of African slaves brought to the West Indies by French colonists. The horrible conditions in Haiti, such as crushing poverty, unemployment and illiteracy, and high rates of acute and chronic illnesses and child and infant mortality, result in the illegal immigration of many Haitians to the United States, France, and other countries in Western Europe. Most immigrants are adults and teens who leave Haiti in tiny boats, despite the risk of drowning and other hazards. According to Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) 2001 statistics, the number of refugees has declined to several thousand per year since the early 1990’s.

    Read More

  • Haiti: Earthquake, Aftermath and Condition

    2033 Words  | 5 Pages

    Zanotti, L. (2010). Cacophonies of aid, failed state building and NGOs in Haiti: setting the stage for disaster, envisioning the future. Third World Quarterly, 31(5), 755-771.

    Read More

  • Haiti's Contribution To The Colonial History Of Haiti Today

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    Several of the problems that Haiti faces today have their genesis in the country’s colonial history. The country was like a toy being fought over by spoiled children. The first of these children arrived in the early sixteenth century in the form of Spanish settlers in search of gold. They enslaved the native Taino population and, poisoned by avarice, nearly eradicated the indigenous work force. Thousands of African slaves were brought in to take their place. Eventually, the Spanish left the island to grab their share of newly discovered treasure in other lands. Tiring of their toy, the Spanish

    Read More

  • Economics of Haiti

    2353 Words  | 5 Pages

    The economics of Haiti has deceased in the last 4 years after the devastating earthquake that struck it 4 years ago. The Haiti economy has become very poor and one of the poorest country in the south, Central America and Caribbean region making it ranked 24 out of 29 countries in this area and its overall score is below average. Haiti’s economic freedom is 48.1 making it economy the 151st freest country while in the last several years Declines in the management of government spending, freedom from corruption, and labor freedom make its overall score 2.6 points lower than last year. Recovering from the disastrous earthquake in 2010 with the support of the U.S. recovering efforts “Haiti’s post-earthquake reconstruction efforts continue, assisted by substantial aid from the international community. Governing institutions remain weak and inefficient, and overall progress has not been substantial. The parliament has not renewed the mandate of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, which had been tasked with overseeing reconstruction efforts but was unpopular.”( .heritage.org). The open market of Haiti trade weighted to be 2.1 this is because the lack of tariffs hamper the trade freedom of Haiti. Foreign investors are given national treatment but the investment is small and the financial sector is remained underdeveloped and does not provide any adequate support.

    Read More

  • Human Rights Violations in Haiti

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    Haiti is drenched in poverty, corruption, and lack of education. Due to these aspects Haiti is “the least developed country in the western hemisphere”. With only one-third of suitable land...

    Read More

  • The Educational System Of Haiti And The United States

    1149 Words  | 3 Pages

    The difference between the structure of the educational system in Haiti and the United States are the following ones: Schools in Haiti are divided in four levels: Primary, Secondary, Vocational and Technical, and University. On the other hand, United States’ structure has the following levels; Kindergarten, Elementary school, Middle school, High school, College and University. Schools in Haiti have a different educational system than the United States. Students remain in the same classroom for the whole day. In contrast, in the United States students go to different classrooms during the day. In Haiti there are a few things that are quite different; in Haiti during break time schools do not pr...

    Read More

  • Haitians in America

    1893 Words  | 4 Pages

    Haiti is located in the Caribbean with Cuba to the northwest, Jamaica to the southwest, and Puerto Rico to the east. Ninety five percent of Haitian people are of African descent (Holcomb, Parsons, Giger, & Davidhizar, 1996). The language spoken by the vast majority of Haitians is Creole. The pronunciation and vocabulary are derived largely from French but the syntax is similar to that of other creoles (Brown, 2010). Haiti is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. In 2010 the population was approximately 9.6 million and is expected to increase to 13.4 million in 2050 (Edwards, 2010). It is also projected that some Haitians may try to flee fro...

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative : A Haitian Immigrant

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    On January 12, 2010, while vacationing in Santo Domingo, DR. Tragedy hit and my strong foundation no longer stood. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 shook and uprooted homes, places of business and my sense of peace. After hearing news of the earthquake, I rush to Port-au-Prince to check on my family. I was reassured that my family was secured and had no life threatening injuries, but the same was not said to my grandparent’s neighbor. Their neighbor suffered from a head injury and deep laceratio...

    Read More

  • Sometimes The Earth Is Cruel By Leonard Pits Summary

    645 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Haiti earthquake that occurred on January 12, 2010 just fifteen miles south of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince was a severely large-scale earthquake, at a magnitude of 7.0. The initial shock was then followed by a series of aftershocks with magnitudes ranging up to 5.9. Over three hundred thousand people died due to this extreme chaos. Many buildings collapsed and disintegrated under the force of the quake; both the cathedral and National Palace in Port-au-Prince were heavily damaged. In the aftermath of this tragedy, efforts to aid the people of Haiti with medical assistance, water, and food were hampered by the loss of communication lines as well as by roads blocked by debris. Over one million people were left homeless due to this quake. Two days after the earthquake, journalist Leonard Pitts wrote “Sometimes the Earth is Cruel,” an article describing how the people of Haiti responded to the disaster. In “Sometimes the Earth is Cruel,” a major theme is that some things are inevitable.

    Read More

  • Haiti After the Earthquake

    1274 Words  | 3 Pages

    The effects caused by earthquakes are devastating. They cause loss of human life and have effects on infrastructure and economy. Earthquakes can happen at any time anywhere. In January 12, 2010 an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.0 hit the nation of Haiti. An estimation of 316,000 people were killed, and more than 1.3 million Haitians were left homeless (Earthquake Information for 2010). Haiti was in a terrified chaos. After the earthquake, families were separated because many of the members were killed. Homes, schools, and hospitals were demolished. People lost their most valuable belongings. It will take time for the country to recover from this terrible disaster. The long damages are economic issues, health-state, and environmental issues that effect in the beautiful island of Haiti.

    Read More

  • Essay On Dominican Republic

    818 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Dominic Republic currently has a capable and sufficient healthcare system for their citizens. However, the cost of healthcare across the board along with a moral obligation to assist Haitians access to care can be improved. I will address our tier healthcare system to assure access is available to all people on a basic level.

    Read More

  • Malnutrition In Haiti Essay

    471 Words  | 1 Pages

    Haitian parents teach their young to protect the family structure and privacy, as well as unconditional respect for all their elders. The elderly in Haiti possess wisdom and are able to share their experiences with the youth. Haitians are an overcoming people, and are continuing to pursue a better quality of life for themselves and those they Love to fight against their harsh

    Read More

  • Haiti Essay

    2068 Words  | 5 Pages

    Haiti is home to about 9.8 million people. Two million people live in Port-au-Prince, which is not only the most populated city, it is also the capital. The city was established in 1749 and did not grow very rapidly because of earthquakes. Half of the nation’s capital lives in poverty. They have no or rarely any access to safe drinking water or electricity and there is hardly any sanitation. Out of all the Americas, the two largest slums are right in this city. The other half of the city lives in an urban area. It has attractions for tourists and has many hotels. Port-au-Prince also has many industries. A few of these include textile, clothing, footwear, food, and consumer goods. Port-au-Prince, being the most populated city in Haiti, also holds a lo...

    Read More

  • Diarrehea Case Study

    542 Words  | 2 Pages

    One hundred sixty-six responders this were their first time providing medical training outside the US. For 85% percent this were their first time traveling to Haiti. The median duration of stay in Haiti was 8 days. Fifty-six percent reported providing care to Haitian with cholera. Diarrehea was reported by 31 percent (13 were trained MD/PA, 12 nurses, 2 allied health workers and 4 non medically trained personnel). One contracted cholera. Out of the ones reporting cases of diarrhea 17 took antibiotic, 4 sought out medical care, 2 received IV fluids and 1 was medically evacuated. Out of the 381 responders, 82% reported always washing their hands after caring for the patients and 51% reported lack of hand-washing supplies as the reason for not washing their hands. Three percent reported drinking or eating from unsafe sources. Ninety percent reported obtaining health and safe information and 64% visit a doctor in preparation prior to going to

    Read More

  • Preventing HIV/ AIDS

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    HIV does not only affect the well-being of individuals, it has large impacts on households, communities and even nations as a whole. Peer discussions and personal research has also made me realize that some of the countries suffering from this HIV epidemic also rather unfortunately suffer from other infectious diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, relative poverty and economic stagnation. Despite these setbacks, new inte...

    Read More

More about Haiti's Healthcare System

Open Document