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Health Issues In Haiti Essay

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Over the past several years, Haiti a country in North America has been in turmoil and in desperate need, of economic improvement. This is due in large part to the country’s problems dealing with diseases, disasters, extreme poverty, and health and sanitation issues. Theses issues have led to the country dealing with increased morbidity and mortality rates, decreased life expectancies, major health issues, and death. In an effort to help the country of Haiti, programs and policies have been implemented to aid the country in recapturing its ability to prosper. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the population of Haiti in 2013 was 10,317,000. Due to extreme conditions there, life expectancy at birth for males is 61 years of age …show more content…

According to unicef, 23% of Haitian births are less than 2.5kg (5.5lbs), and only 46.7% mothers breast feed after baby is born. Also, 22% of the population suffers from stunting of growth (Unicef, 2015). Secondly, there are approximately 150,000 people living with HIV. Of that number, the 2012 numbers included 78,000 women and 12,000 children living with HIV. Furthermore, only 27% males and 34% of females among the ages of 18-24 understand the use of a condom can prevent HIV. Literacy rates in Haiti are also very low. It was estimated that in 2015 only 60% of the population over the age of 15 is able to read and write (CIA, 2015). Additionally, the Internet is widely used as an educational tool world wide, but according to unicef the number of Haitian Internet users is only 11 for every 100 persons. Another important health issue Haiti faces is sanitation systems. Only 28% of the population has improved sanitation facility access, leaving 72% of the country with unimproved access. Having unimproved access means the flushed systems are not piped to a sewer line, pit latrine, or septic tank. Furthermore, pit latrines may be without slabs or open to air not covered which allows the disease-causing organisms to remain alive (CIA,

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