Today is World Health Day, a time to step back and ask if the world is becoming healthier.  On some areas such as HIV/AIDS and malaria we are making progress.  Yet we are falling behind in other areas such as maternal and child health.  We are also ill prepared to deal with the negative health consequences of climate change - the theme for this year's World Health Day.   Though it will be an issue for all of us, it will most severely affect the poorest of the poor.  When it comes to public health, however, we are all in it together.

Germany recently announced that it would contribute an additional eight million Euros to CARICOM in support of its efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in the Carribean - broadly known as the  Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean or PANCAP for short.  These funds will support HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment programs throughout the Caribbean, including Haiti. 

There are more Haitian doctors in Florida than in Haiti.  When you speak to them, their frustration is palpable.  Many want an opportunity to give back to their country - but at the same time, they want the resources and tools they need to make a difference for their patients. 

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I would argue that the measurement of progress in a country is not the quantity of money a person has, not the ammount of technology possessed, but rather the ability of that country to meet the needs of its children.  The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has just released a report which suggests we have a long way to go, for Haiti and the world. Read more »

HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and TB are the unholy Trinity of illness in the developing world.  But there are a number of less widely known diseases, which while not fatal, cause a great deal of sickness, suffering, and disability.   One of them is Lymphatic Filariasis, also known as Elephantiasis. Read more »

As World AIDS Day fast approaches, now is a good time for us to pause and reflect what has been accomplished in 2007, what we've learned, and what still needs to be done.  Read more »

Infant mortality is high in Haiti, needlessly so.  According to the CIA Factbook, Haiti has the 38th highest infant mortality rate of 221 countries.   Number 37 is the DRC!  Clearly, more needs to be done to protect the health of children...the most vulnerable members of a vulnerable country.

Once upon a time, Haiti was a tourist destination. This is not unusual as most Carribean countries do have tourism to some extent.  You can still see, throughout Haiti, facilities that used to be intended for tourist but are no more.

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An article on the Partners in Health website recently caught my eye.  For those not familiar, Partners in Health is a non profit organization that pioneered community based methods of treating HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in low resource settings with incredible success.  The program started in Haiti and was expanded into Latin America and Africa. 

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Haiti is a tough place to be a kid. The infant mortality rate for 2005 (73.45 deaths/live births/per year) places it at 33rd highest out of 226 contenders. Though Haiti has made progress against HIV/AIDS, far too many young lives are lost to diarreah, respiratory infections, malaria and other conditions which can be prevented and treated. Read more »