As we know, no two places in the world are the same. How people dress, what they eat, how they speak and even their social determinants are different. Social determinants are things in people’s environments that affect the outcome of certain things. In Haiti, there are several challenges that the people who live there face. For Haiti, one of the biggest social determinants to health for that country is access to clean water. Haiti, as we know, is not the wealthiest country out there. They face great detriments to their health every day, although, access to clean water is a big detriment that affects almost every one in Haiti. It is scientifically proven “prior research in Haiti documented that public water sources are commonly fecally contaminated, as indicated by the presence of escherichia coli” (Gerges 2016). In this study, over 63 sources of water from all across Haiti were tested. It is scientifically proven that out of those 63 water sources, over 73% were found with some trace of e.coli in it, some being larger amounts than others. Although e.coli is the main contaminant found in the drinking water in Haiti, there are also other contaminants found in their, supposively, clean drinking water that could make the people very sick with diseases and even die. It is also scientifically proven that in “Haiti, they have inadequate access to drinking water and waste contaminated with disease vectors, pathogens or unacceptable levels of toxins or suspended solids” (Zaman 2013). The people of Haiti who consume this contaminated water are at a very high risk for developing widespread, acute, and chronic illnesses and is a major cause of death and misery here in Haiti. Since this is such an issue here, many people don’t consume the drinking water even if it is said to be safe. Instead, they will rely on boiling water or bottled water, if accessible. Although this is a good practice to rely on, it can get very expensive and many cannot afford it or are unable to access this practice of consuming clean drinking water. It is proven that even though 70% of our world is covered in water, only 3% is accessible to drinking water for humans. Even though there is such a big challenge of accessing clean drinking water in Haiti, many Haitians are trying to do things to help with such a problem. The most common way for the people of Haiti to access clean drinking water is through rainfall. They will place large pots and jugs outside during rainfall and collect this water. This social detriment is a very serious problem across many countries, although, Haiti is at such a great risk because of the condition their country is in economically. “There are many reasons for these disadvantages including lack of education, inadequate job opportunities and poor living conditions (Marmot 2005). These are all factors in which Haiti is extremely disadvantaged. 

Gerges, et al. “Semi-Quantitative Estimation of Escherichia Coli Levels in Public Drinking Water Sources in Northern Haiti.” Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, IWA Publishing, 1 Mar. 2016, iwaponline.com/washdev/article-abstract/6/1/89/30427.

Marmot, Michael. “Social Determinants of Health Inequalities.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, drive.google.com/file/d/1ubK2nSOuNnZS9X5vvt7C7rwqQq370tnh/view.

Scientific Research Publishing. “Low-Cost Sustainable Technologies for the Production of Clean Drinking Water-A Review.” Journal of Environmental Protection, Scientific Research Publishing, 23 Jan. 2014, file.scirp.org/Html/42322.html.