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The Republic
of Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican
Republic. Haiti made history by establishing the first independent
Latin American republic in 1804, although subsequent decades have
seen considerable political turmoil. It is the poorest country in
the Americas, and ranks globally at or near the bottom in most
major wealth and quality of life indicators. It is also prone to
catastrophic natural disasters, such as a major earthquake in
2010. Haiti is a culturally rich nation, with a mix of French,
Creole and Afro-Caribbean influences. Historically a lush forested
region, Haiti has suffered from serious environmental degradation,
erosion and desertification. This has made Haiti increasingly
susceptible to floods during the region’s periods of heavy
rainfall and hurricanes.
Unsurprisingly in such a poor country, health care in Haiti is at
a very low level. Life expectancy for Haitians is 59 years for
males and 63 for females. The rate of infectious diseases is
highest in the region: HIV infection rates of 22 per 1,000 adults
are more than quadruple the Americas average. Tuberculosis is
highly prevalent, affecting 290 per 100,000 people, ten times the
regional average. Haiti spends only about USD93 per capita
annually on health care, with government expenditure making up
22.1 percent of this. Most private health care spending, over 60
percent, comes straight from the patient’s pocket, and most of the
remainder comes from NGOs and charities. The country does not
currently have any established local private insurance companies.
Part of the blame for poor health in Haiti can be attributed to
limited access to clean water. Currently only about 60 percent of
the population has access to improved drinking water. Although
this figure represents significant improvement over the past two
decades, inequalities persist less than half of rural residents
currently have clean water. Due to a spate of natural disasters
and crumbling infrastructure, access to modern sanitation
facilities has declined over the past two decades, and is now
available to only about 20 percent of Haitians.
Due to “brain drain” issues typical of many less developed
countries, only 26 percent of Haitian births are attended by a
skilled healthcare professional, compared with 92 percent of
births in the region. Antenatal care is also limited; for example
only 58 percent of Haitian one year olds are immunised against
measles, compared to the 93 percent average in the Americas
region. Haiti is marked by gross income inequalities, and this is
apparent in provision of health care; figures for the county’s
poor rural inhabitants are much lower than those indicated above.
The 2010 Haiti earthquake captured the world’s attention and the
massive loss of life and shelter inspired international charitable
responses. Access to clean water and sanitation is already
normally limited in Haiti, and complications following the
earthquake made this situation even bleaker. In an effort to
alleviate the suffering of Haitians, the WHO oversaw the
establishment of seventeen field hospitals to provide emergency
care. And the U.S. Army was called in to distribute drugs and
medical supplies. Countless other national governments,
international organisations and NGOs contributed assistance.
However, stormy weather and civil unrest undermined many of these
efforts.
In addition to the short-term dislocation wrought by the quake,
Haiti’s health care infrastructure suffered from systemic damage.
According to reports from WHO staff, eight hospitals were
completely destroyed and at least 22 suffered from serious damage.
The Venezuelan government pledged emergency fuel supplies, which
proved critical to the recovery of key medical services. Mobile
health units were installed by several local and international
health agencies in an effort to provide basic treatment.
Following the quake, Haiti suffered from a severe cholera
outbreak. The WHO Global Alert and Response (GAR) team reported
over 60,000 cases leading to more than 1,400 deaths. The WHO has
attempted to implement a treatment programme and training on water
chlorination as past of a Haiti National Cholera Response Plan,
but ongoing civil unrest has impeded these efforts. Haiti has also
endured a fatal typhoid outbreak in recent years.
Although not known as tourist hotspot like its neighbour, the
Dominican Republic, Haiti’s tropical climate, culture, beaches and
topography make it an interesting, if risky destination. The US
Centres for Disease Control recommend visiting a travel medicine
clinic four to six weeks before any planned trip in order to
updated routine vaccinations, including immunisations against
rabies. Haiti also requires visitors from countries with yellow
fever outbreaks to show proof of vaccination.
As with most tropical areas, Haiti is prone to outbreaks of
malaria, and other insect-borne diseases. Visitors are strongly
recommended to carry onsect repellent with DEET, wear long sleeved
clothing and sleep with mosquito-repellent bed nets.. Prescription
anti-malarial drugs recommended in Haiti include atovaquone,
proguanil, cholorquine, doxycycline and mefloquine. Due to drug
shortages and unreliability of existing supply, these should be
purchased in your home country if possible.
Like any other place, gatrointestinal discomfort is probably the
top health problem for foreign visitors. Avoiding raw and
undercooked foods, and drinking only bottled water should help
prevent problems. Over the counter anti-diarrhoea medication can
be administered in acute cases.
Given Haiti’s poverty, limited health care resources and
prevalence of natural disasters and civil unrest, extra
precautions should be made before making a trip. With no local
Haiti health insurance available within the country, special
arrangements must be made before travel. Bear in mind that travel
to Haiti is significantly more risky than trips to other more
popular Caribbean destinations. Due to a lack of high quality
medical facilities in the country expatriates suffering from
severe illnesses or accidents will require emergency evacuation in
order to receive ongoing healthcare treatment; this may require
air transport and treatment in the United States where health care
costs are the highest in the world.
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To limit your risk and be prepared for medical worst-case
scenarios, the Globalsurance team can help with your travel health
insurance needs. Globalsurance offers free consultations 24 hours
a day, with plans for individuals, families and tour groups.
While in guinea, international health insurance plans can provide you
cover for everything
from: dental, maternity, specialist consultation, transportation,
inpatient services and more. Contact a Globalsurance adviser today
for more expatriate health insurance details.
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