Oriani Life
We did a community survey and it shows that in the Oriani area a full one third of babies born here have died. That’s one out of every three! Some parents lost 4 out of 7 and then another lady we met has produced 22 children, all still living.
One young lady we know is 19 and has 5 children! What? You started at 14? She hung her head and yet laughed as she said, “Yes at 14… and I have had one every year”.
Yes, we do give family planning council and products at the clinic!
Life and Death
Maternal death rate in Haiti has remained 5 times that of the other poor Caribbean countries. Most of the fault lies in poor practices and unskilled delivery attendants without the ability to help in the event of complications. We now hold prenatal classes and hand out home birthing kits. We also invite pregnant women to come to the clinic quickly for attended deliveries if they sense they are having any problems.
One in 44 mountain women will die in childbirth. (Some reports say one in 27.) And the living children they leave behind have twice the death rate of children with mothers.
For every mother who dies in childbirth there are many more who suffer extended problems.
One out of 7 children die at birth, or within the next year.
33% mountain children will not live to see their 6th birthday.
35% of mountain children suffer malnutrition. Some of these children have large distended bellies that are full of parasites. The worms can take 25% of the child’s much needed nutrition. Simply deworming them and teaching them how to reduce re-infestation can be the equivalent of giving them 25% more food!
We believe Confidence Health Center can help reduce this pain and suffering through a combination of pre- and post-natal care, de-worming medications, childhood vaccinations, and education.