Haiti Cultural Awareness Update

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Haiti Cultural Awareness Update

• Junias Desamour MD

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Haiti

• Location in the Caribbean

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Haiti Facts

• First black republic to declare its independence
  in 1804
• The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere
• Ethnic groups black 95, mulatto and white
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• Religions Roman Catholic 80, Protestant 16
  note roughly half of the population practices
  voodoo
• GDP - per capita (1,300 (2007 est.)
• Very corrupt Politicians

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Haiti Facts

• Life expectancy at birthtotal population 57.5
  yearsmale 55.83 years female 59.35 years
  (2008
• HIV Prevalence (Adults 15-49) 3.8 Deaths
  (2005) 16,000
• Literacy definition age 15 and over can read
  and write total pop 52.9 male 54.8 female
  51.2 (2003 es

• Major infectious diseases
• food or waterborne diseases bacterial and
  protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and
  typhoid fever vectorborne diseases dengue fever
  and malaria water contact disease leptospirosis
  (2008)

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The Haitian Patient

• Very Polite
• Yes does not mean they understand what you are
  saying. Ask them to come with a child to
  translate if they are not proficient in English.
• They believe in herbal medicine
• They usually attribute pain to gas pain
• Chest is called stomach in creole (deadly
  misnomer)
• Stomach pain can mean chest pain.

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The Haitian Patient

• Recurrent high fever chills Headache up to 12
  months after visiting the island ( place Malaria
  in the differential diagnosis)
• Need Prophilaxis before traveling back home
• Thyphoid fever is also very common (water)
• Have patients brings meds bottles including
  herbal meds
• Some may not know how to read or write

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Pictures of Haiti
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Pictures of Haiti
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Pictures of Haiti
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Pictures of Haiti
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Pictures of Haiti
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Pictures of Haiti
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Pictures of Haiti
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Pictures of Haiti