Gressier, Haiti, is located just west of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Like most of the island, it is a beautiful, rural, rugged mountainous region. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with a per capita income of about $400, in rural areas only $100. The people are 90 percent African, originally from Benin and Ivory Coast, and 10 percent Mulatto – French and African. Literacy is about fifty percent. There are not enough schools or teachers and most schools are private, though many families cannot afford to send their children since all schools require tuition, books and uniforms to be paid.

The staple Haitian diet is corn, cassavas, millet, rice, and fruits. People rarely eat meat, fish, milk, or eggs. Haitian economy is heavily dependent on farming, though only about thirty percent of the territory is suitable for cultivation. The principal cash crops are coffee, sugar, sisal, and essential oils. Coffee generates a third of Haiti’s income from exports. Sugar production has fallen dramatically because of growing local consumption and the production of rum.

Become familiar with Haitian culture, history and economy by reviewing the Wikipedia Haiti Profile. Rich resources for Haiti health information include the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation IHME Haiti Country Profile and the World Health Organization Global Health Observatory Haiti Data.

Average life expectancy in Haiti is 61 years (78 years in the US), infant mortality is 76 per 1000 live births (6.7 in US), maternal mortality is 1000 per 100,000 births (12 in US), and yearly health care expenditure per capita is just $27 ($2765 in US).

People coming to Haiti Health Ministries are usually poor and are most commonly treated for intestinal parasites, diabetes mellitus, machete wounds, hypertension, malaria, dehydration, malnutrition, end stage cancers, and prenatal care. Inpatient care in Haiti is a last resort, but those in need are sent with a letter to hospital when unavoidable. The Clinic also cooperates with the Christianville Foundation to provide free care to the 1200 students in Christianville’s school system.

All Haitians speak Creole, a simplified form of French. About 10 percent speak French, the official language of Haiti. Translators are available in the Clinic.

Haiti Health Ministries opened in January 2006, and is a service of Haiti Health Ministries, a Christian non-profit organization headquartered in Girard, Kansas. The Clinic operates on weekdays and provides patient education and training of national medical workers, in addition to its primary focus of caring for indigent patients. Over 30,000 patient consultations are performed per year, and clinic services have grown to include laboratory, pharmacy, sonography, radiology, and minor surgery. Patients are cared for regardless of their ability to pay. Aid is also provided to those in need who require hospital admission.

The clinic has a staff of 15, including four physicians, three of whom are Haitian, an American physician’s assistant, and an American community health nurse. Dr. Jim Wilkins, the medical director, and Sandy Wilkins, nursing director, are from the American Midwest and have lived in Haiti since 1999.

INMED invites all participants to consider raising extra funds to financially support this facility. While such efforts are not required, they provide opportunity for INMED learners to become involved in this important aspect of international healthcare.

Internet access is available through the guesthouse.