information on hiv/aids in haiti

Haiti is among the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere and with that dubious distinction come numerous health problems, including malnutrition, high infant mortality and AIDS. The prevalence of HIV in Haiti is estimated at 5.6% (Central Intelligence Agency, 2005). Outside of Africa, Haiti suffers the worst AIDS epidemic. Since the epidemic began in the 1980s, the average life expectancy has fallen by six years: 49.1 years for men and 51.1 years for women (World Health Organization, 2004). Haiti has more than 250,000 people infected with HIV/AIDS out of an estimated total population of 8,218,000 (World Health Organization, 2004).

Since the HIV pandemic began, approximately six million children have died of AIDS (United Nations Foundation & Ad Council, 2004); the number of pediatric deaths in Haiti due to HIV or AIDS is uncertain, but one study estimates infant mortality due to AIDS to be as high as 20% (Jean et al., 1997). There are approximately 200,000 AIDS orphans, of whom 12,000 are reported to be HIV-infected. These children suffer from a myriad of co-infections, such as pneumonia, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, TB, upper respiratory problems and malnutrition. Children with HIV in Haiti are doomed to die prematurely, not because of the infection but due to neglect brought by poverty and especially stigma based on their HIV status.

Because of political turmoil resulting from the ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, aid from international organizations has been stymied, and funds for HIV/AIDS education and prevention projects has had to be funneled through private groups. It is in the face of these obstacles that I continue my work to assist HIV-positive AIDS orphans to survive and to continue health education efforts in the schools and churches in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. I intend to use this website to inform and educate the visitors on Haiti and the complexity of its many issues which will also include the HIV epidemic. As most of you probably already know, when it comes to the spread of HIV, it’s not just teaching people about abstinence, safe sex or putting on a condom, it’s looking at the whole person.

Since I began the Public Health program in 2000, I started traveling to my homeland with a desire to help improve the country. I began putting my education to work by starting a community-based project which involved educating people on HIV/AIDS prevention in schools and churches. On one of my many trips since then, in August of 2003 I meet two women, a nurse and a social worker who introduced me to a visibly sick HIV-positive 13 year-old girl who was living on the streets. I got to talk to the child and listened to her telling me her story. I simply told the nurse that I would write her story, send it to my friends and church family; whatever money I received would be sent to her to help the child.

I prayed and struggled with the idea and decided to write the letter two months later. I knew God was leading me to do more than I could ever imagine. I spoke to an older lady friend about the vision and decided to follow through with what God placed in my heart. I discussed the vision with my two my colleagues in Haiti and they started looking for a house to rent. In the process, I designed a basic care-delivery model that entailed the minimization of stigma in the provision of care to our children. On March of 2004, three children and a woman we hired to live with them moved into a house we rented.
Embracing this assignment would not have been possible without the support of those who believed in me. I have to pay tribute to the older lady friend I mentioned earlier. She truly believes in me and this project. And without her emotional and the financial support that she and her family provides this orphanage would not exist today. Friends, this is how this orphanage was birthed in brief. I’m not doing this alone. God has been good to us. I have many testimonies of his goodness. We are supported by small funds from friends, acquaintances and those who really care about the vision. We need you to get involved with us so that this effort can be continued.

Marie F. Denis-Luque