Articles and quick facts

Haiti is a 90 minute flight from the coast of Florida, and it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

  • 80% of its people live in poverty
  • 2/3 of the adults are unemployed and the average per capita income is US$250 each year
  • Life expectancy is 53 years, and 42% of the population is under the age of 14
  • Only 46% of the population has access to clean water
  • The maternal mortality rate is the highest in the Americas.
  • The infant mortality rate is ten times the U.S. rate
  • There are 2.5 doctors for every 10,000 people

It’s hard to imagine such extreme poverty, and the impact this poverty has on a child’s health and well being. Malnutrition, poor sanitation, lack of clean water and basic health care increases a child’s susceptibility to all diseases. Intestinal worms and dysenteries, skin infestations and infections, pneumonia, asthma, ear infections are all very common. The majority of children are not immunized against any childhood diseases, which puts many at risk of death. During our medical mission trips, care is provided to all who come, but special emphasis is on pediatric and pre-natal care.