Social Issue

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere with 8.4 million inhabitants of which 4.2 million are children, and of them, 1/3 live in urban areas. The Haitian public health infrastructure has fallen into ruin due to the unstable historical, social, political, and economic context, which has caused 60% of the Haitian children to not have access to the most elemental health services. This causes the mortality rate of 5-year-old children in Haiti to be the highest of all of Latin America and the Caribbean, comparable to some of the Sub-Saharan African countries, caused by diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, acute diarrhoea, chronic malnourishment, etc.

More than half of the infant deaths are related to the lack of adequate food and the lack of medical and nutritional assistance. In Haiti, food insecurity reaches 40% of the Haitian homes, 65% of the children suffer anaemia, and 32% present delays in their development (data from UNESCO 2004).

Our Response

This project intends to offer an effective medical diagnosis and treatment to children suffering from tuberculosis, anaemia, cancer, acute respiratory diseases, and AIDS and, at the same time, help them recover nutritionally in the first 5 years of life.

Jointly, a programme of systematic immunisation is carried out, without neglecting effective preventive and nutritional training aimed at the mothers of these children whose purpose is to avoid their children relapsing once they have recovered their health and return to their homes.

The intervention programme consists of three phases: A first phase of stabilisation of the newborn/breastfeeding/child, in a very critical stage in which their lives are in danger. A second phase of nutritional recovery of the child, parallel to a stage of nutritional education for the family members. A final phase of out-patient follow-up that permits controlling the development of the child and avoiding possible relapses. At the same time, vaccinations and medicines will be administered, x-rays, and pertinent analyses will be conducted to evaluate the health of the child as well as his positive evolution during his recovery in the hospital.

Expected Social Impact

82 Haitian infants and children in poor health due to malnutrition have benefited from the project. In addition, the capital contributed indirectly affects the families of the minors affected.