Haiti for a Year

In 2008, I moved to Les Cayes, Haiti to live out my dream of changing the health status of the poorest country this side of the planet, by practicing "political medicine." This blog begins by telling my story of when I first moved to Haiti until now, as a second year medical student. I partner with non-profits to train rural Haitian youth to become community health workers in their villages, empowering a people to take control over their own health and save their own lives.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Today is World AIDS Day. Today is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people with an estimated 33.2 million people living with HIV making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 3.1 million (between 2.8 and 3.6 million) lives in 2005, of which more than half a million (570,000) were children.

The concept of a World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programmes for AIDS Prevention. Since then, it has been taken up by governments, international organizations and charities around the world. (Wiki.com)

The following is a link if you’re interested in learning more about World AIDS Day and how to get involved in fighting HIV/AIDS around the globe. http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/getinvolved/hope-home

HIV/AIDS in Haiti

8,706,497: population of Haiti (2007 est.)110,000: Estimated number of people living with HIV/AIDS by the end of 2007

2.2%: Estimated percentage of adults (ages 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS by the end of 2007

53%: Estimated percentage of HIV cases that occured among women (ages 15-49) by the end of 2007

6,800: Estimated number of children (ages 0-15) living with HIV/AIDS by the end of 2007

7,500: Estimated number of deaths due to AIDS during 2007

Source
UNAIDS 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic. July 2008

Here are a few great sites if you’re interested in learning more about the demographics and epidemiology of diseases endemic to Haiti.

Globalhealthreporting.org
Kaisernetwork.org
Globalhealthfacts.org

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I am a second year medical student at Brown University with a degree in public health. I have been working in rural Haiti since 2008 developing public health education and training programs, bringing health care to areas of Haiti where there are no doctors. When I graduated from college, I deferred medical school and lived in Haiti for a year. This blog tells my story of how I created a public health program that changed the health status of a 600-child orphanage in southern Haiti.

I have recently partnered with the large non-profit organization, Hope For Haiti. Together, we are bringing my model training program to more than 40 schools and 37 clinics in southern Haiti. To learn more, please visit my official website at www.willinhaiti.org

My passion is for what I call "political medicine." I am striving to change the face of medicine, how it is practiced, to whom it is distributed, and how it is defined through policy change on an international level, securing health care as a human right.

I believe in a universal standard of health care for all people.

Wanna talk? Email me at willinhaiti@gmail.com

To Make A Donation

Please donate to Will in Haiti through Hope For Haiti. Click on the link below to be routed to their donation site. Please indicate Will’s Public Health Program in the Special Instructions to the Seller section if you are donating through Hope for Haiti’s paypal site.

Via Credit Card:
Click here to make a secure online donation:

http://www.hopeforhaiti.com/donations.php

Via Check:
Make check payable to Hope For Haiti and mail to:

Hope for Haiti

1021 5th Avenue North

Naples, FL 34102

In the memo line, please write ‘Will’s Public Health Program.’ If you would like to donate towards my travel expenses, please write ‘Will's Transportation’ in the memo line.

In kind donations are also accepted, such as frequent flyer miles (through AA and Delta) goods and services, etc. Please contact me for more information and if you would like to donate and have your business recognized on willinhaiti.org

Hopeforhaiti.com is the official website of Hope For Haiti, which is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit. Donations are tax-deductible.

Thank you for your support!!! None of what we do is possible without you!