Haiti
Profile
Haiti is situated
in the Caribbean and shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican
Republic. It is approximately the size of the state of Maryland, and is
mountainous with an acrid climate. Haiti is the least-developed country
in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the poorest in the world.
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Population: 7.5
million people
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Capital: Port-au-Prince
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Government Type:
Elected Government
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Ethnic Groups:
African descent 95%; African and European descent 5%
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Religions: Roman
Catholic 80%; Protestant 16%; voodoo practices widespread
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Languages: French
and Creole
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Adult Literacy:
35%
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Birth Rate: 31.97
births/1,000 population
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Death Rate: 97.1
deaths/1,000 live births
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Life Expectancy
at Birth: Total population: 49.21 years. Male: 47.46 years. Female: 51.06
years
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Population Below
Poverty: 80%
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Unemployment Rate:
70%; widespread under-employment; more than two-thirds of the labor force
do not have formal jobs
| Scenes
of Haiti | | Photos
by Dr. Kraus |
Haiti
Healthcare
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The high mortality
rate in Haiti is the result of the country’s generalized poverty and endemic
illnesses. The health crisis is exacerbated by deficient water supply and
basic sanitation services.
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According to the
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the leading causes of child mortality
in Haiti are diarrheal diseases, acute respiratory infections and malnutrition.
Major causes of hospitalization for children 0-14 years old were prematurity
(23%), pneumonia (16%), malnutrition (8%), meningitis (8%), typhoid (6%)
and gastroenteritis (5%).
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Prevalent diseases
seen in Haitian adult patients include tuberculosis, diabetes, HIV/Aids,
hepatitis, sickle cell disease and hypertension.
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