The health topic I have decided to discuss is the HIV Epidemic in Haiti, specifically among women. Estimates say that Haiti’s prevalence exceeds 2% (Li, et al.,), the most of any Caribbean island. According to the WHO, most of the driving causes are sex workers, severe poverty, high unemployment rates, stigmas, and gender inequalities. There are some positives to be noted. Haiti’s prevalence of HIV infection has gone down considerably during their epidemic. Prevalence was at 6% during a peak before eventually getting more under control. Amid the younger generation in Haiti the trend has also fallen, suggesting that the infection is slowing down (WHO).

            Limited access to testing does some of the most harm in the spread of HIV. According to the CDC, without access to testing many people who have the infection do not know until it’s too late. Sex work is very common in Haiti as a form of income. Without testing facilities easily accessible these sex workers might not know their infected and will still work thus spreading the disease further. Education has played a big part in the attempt to stomp out HIV but a stigma remains. This same stigma kills prevention efforts by scaring other off from testing and treatment centers (Malow, et al.,)

            From a cultural standpoint solving the HIV epidemic in Haiti should be a top priority. While doing my research I found a strong point I really liked. The idea is, “infectious diseases are increasingly concentrated among the poor, who live under the tremendous weight of structural violence, and whose social and economic rights are constantly violated” (Castro, Farmer). Structural violence is the idea that the system works in a way to harm or put individuals at a disadvantage. Structural violence plays a big part in why most of Haiti’s population is under the poverty line and dates back to French control. With poverty being so high prevention efforts, education, testing, treatment, and care are scarce. Since women are constantly subjected to this type of discrimination the HIV epidemic in Haiti severely limit’s women’s chances. There is a belief that Haiti’s economic situation pushes young women towards sexual unions for financial security. Lacking other employment opportunities and with little schooling, they enter sexual relationships out of economic necessity, and typically do not have the power to demand use of condoms” (Poverty Increases Risks of STIs and HIV in Haiti). With limited access to treatment and opportunity, from a cultural standpoint, solving the HIV epidemic in Haiti would do wonders to empower women who are locked down by this infection.

From a public health standpoint solving the HIV epidemic would save millions and millions of lives. What I unfortunately found reading about some of the first cases of HIV/AIDS in Haiti was that the Haitians who contracted the HIV infection soon had other infections too, such as Tuberculosis. With roughly 60% of Haiti under the poverty line most adults are unemployed and have little to no income. That doesn’t bode well for people who have contracted HIV as they don’t have access to treatment. Once they’ve fallen ill the chances of them contracting a similar infection are increased. Weak public health infrastructure has plagued Haiti for decades, coupled in with natural disaster, and extreme poverty it’s important to continue to solve the HIV epidemic in hopes to kick start a public health initiative.

Sources:

www.jstor.org/stable/3776662