Return to the Table of Contents for Haiti
Haiti Today - 200 Years After the Revolution[]
Economic Status[1][]
Haiti has remained the least-developed country in the Americas. On the HDI (Human Development Index) Haiti is now ranked 146th of 177 countries. Haiti is the poorest country in now the Western Hemisphere. Around 80% of the population lives in poverty. Haiti is the only country in the America's who's Economic Growth has flat lined on the united nations list of least developed countries. 50% of all Haitians depend on the farming for employment, Agriculture’s contribution to the economy consists mainly of small- scale farming. Unemployment is estimated at 70%, and the country has created a very little amount of jobs. The main exports of Haiti consist of Mango's and Coffee beans. Haiti is also considered to be very high on the corruption scale. Foreign aid makes up approximately 30%-40% of the national government's budget. The largest donor is the United States followed by Canada, and the European Union also contribute. The United States cut off all aid to Haiti from 200-2004 when a dispute about the elected president rose. Aid was restored when the president was dismissed in 2004. The Graph to the right is showing the inflammation percentages of 1999 through 2006. Throughout the graph there are massive rises and falls, but in 2003 you can see was the worst time for Haiti with an inflammation rate of 37.8%.
Education in Haiti[2]
The Literacy rate in Haiti is just below 50%. Most schools (90%) in Haiti are run by non profit organizations and are found in the most impoverished areas. Without an educated young population, the country has little hope of expanding in the future. However, education is second to basic living accommodations such as food and water, which are permanently provided in mass by a fairly stable government. However, a stable government and economy may be hard to obtain because of the lack of education in the country. Due to the is vicious cycle, Haiti has remained a 3rd world country.
Social Status[]
Source: CIA World Factbook
Infant Mortality Rate, Life Expectancy at Birth, and Total Fertility Rate[2]
Haiti is one of the most impoverished nations in the entire world, and that poverty is reflected in their health care when focusing on infant mortality rates, life expectancies at birth, and total fertility rates. Haiti's infant mortality rate is especially high when compared to the United States, at 59.69 deaths for every 1,000 live births; compare that to the U.S.A., with only 6.26 deaths for every 1,000 live births. There's also a major gap in life expectancies at birth between the two countries, spanning almost a twenty year difference. Haiti's average life expectancy rates at 60.78 years of age, while the Unites States' is at an average of 78.11. There isn't much of a significant difference in total fertility rates, as this isn't a factor with a big margin between the two countries. There are an average of 3.81 children born per woman in Haiti, and and an average of 2.05 children born per woman here in the U.S. This isn't as important of a factor in acknowledging Haiti's poor society when compared to the U.S., but it is still a factor linking to health care in the country. Not so much the total fertility rate, but the infant mortality rates and an individual's average life expectancy at birth are at dangerously high and low levels respectively, implying major shortcomings in society, mainly in the area of health care. If Haiti had a better health care plan, these levels would be at safer points, instead of the dangerous levels they're currently at and the population as a whole would be healthier, resulting in lower infant mortality rates and high life expectancies. These problems could likely be the result of a chain of events starting with Haiti's revolution and gaining of independence. Since then, this country has been very unstable, and thrown in and out of constant turmoil throughout its very short history. The fact that government doesn't always have a firm grip on the country, and that Haiti itself is very poor, could both be reasons for its inability to develop a comprehensive health care plan for the country, leading to the dangerously high infant mortality rates and dangerously low life expectancies at birth.
Political Status[]
Health In Haiti[2]
Haiti Health Statistics (Graph 1)
Ever since the slave revolt and the several ensuing civil wars, the general health conditions for the common people of Haiti have remained fairly low compared to other countries due to weak and conflicting social/political systems. In Graph 1, Haiti is compared to the U.S.A, the Dominican Republic, and the world in several health standards. The United States is a first-world country, as well as one of the leading superpowers in the world. The Dominican Republic is a close neighbor of Haiti, with similar topography and natural resources. Finally, the world is an average of all available data collected from countries worldwide.
In comparison, Haiti has a fairly low health standard. Even between the Dominican Republic and Haiti there is a large difference. Haiti has 24% of births with appropriate medical care while the Dominican Republic has 98%, the life expectancy in Haiti is 49.5 years while it is 66.7 in the Dominican Republic. Even the most essential resources are lacking, Haiti has 49% of the population in malnutrition and 54% without adequate water supplies, while the Dominican Republic has 25% and 14% respectively. All of Haiti's heath statistics are far below that of the United States and the global average. Haiti is one of many third-world countries in South/Central America, and it has been since the revolution of 1791-1804.
When the revolution ended, Haiti had a short period of recovery, during which the new government was set up and laws set in stone. However, the following leaders and their policies led the country into poverty, turmoil, and overall civil war. Since then the general condition of life has depleted while part of the world was going through the industrial revolution. Although Haiti is starting to make a political comeback, the current public situation is one of the worst in the world.
In present day, Haiti is building a strong democracy. Successful municipal elections in December 2006 marked another important step forward in Haiti’s democratic process since the inauguration of President Rene Preval in May 2006.Presidential elections were held in Haiti on 7 February 2006. Following the elections, there were several days of demonstrations and violence due to the time taken by the Provisional Elections Commission to publicly announce the result. On 16 February, Rene Preval was declared the winner. The announcement eased months of political tension in Haiti.
Haiti is faced with many environmental, political, and economic problems, leaving it as the most underdeveloped nation in the America's.