12433: Re: 12430: re: infant mortality rates (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: MaryEllen Sanok <potteryrn@yahoo.com>

just a note from the CDC, CIA and WHO statistics re:
infant mortality rates.

Infant mortality rate in Haiti: 95.23 deaths/1,000
live births (2001 est.)

Not so great when the US's is 7.1 deaths/1000 live
births (1999).

Clearly there is a need for early intervention.
Education is needed re: how male and female bodies
function, how conception occurs, family planning,
prenatal care, skilled birthing assistance, the
importance of maternal health during breastfeeding and
neonatal healthcare.  Sadly, I"ve seen both sides of
birthing in Haiti...delivery of a healthy robust
little girl (who will be 2 next month~!), and the
death of a 28 day old boy who's Mom had just died and
he essentially starved to death.

Only the government can make a serious change in these
statistics by seeing the need and using the money it
receives from multilateral organizations, NGOs and
it's own money to help with well drilling for clean
water, sanitation re: waste, education of ALL
children, health accessibility, immunizations, etc.
etc. etc.

Small organizations and private clinics can make a
substantial dent, but if it takes 6 hours to TRAVEL to
that clinic, how is that considered available to all?
Grass roots may be the way to go to make a change, and
getting the doctors and politicians who are in PAP
into the rural communities to see what is and is not
available so they can be more proactive.

Yikes, there I go again....on my soapbox.




--- Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu> wrote:
>
> From: NLaleau@aol.com
> ----------------------------------------
>
> Dear Jean-Marie--I wouldn't jump to conclusions
> either... the OAS mission
> I was
> part of had to deal repeatedly with rural conflicts
> (and some urban) that
> arose
> due to the death of infants. Family members often
> took revenge on
> neighbors
> whom they thought had hired a bocor to cause an
> infant's death. The bocor
> and/or the person who had employed the bocor were
> often assaulted and
> killed. I
> don't remember the actual statistics of infant
> mortality in Haiti, but as
> we
> all probably know, they are very high. I believe
> most people would have
> pursued
> treatment for their sick infants had it been
> available, but usually it was
> not,
> thus there were complicated repercussions throughout
> the society because
> of
> natural infant deaths. --n. laleau
>


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