Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with the vast majority of Haitians living below the poverty line. Most Haitian parents cannot afford to feed, clothe, or send their children to school, let alone seek medical care for injuries or illnesses. The lack of access to clean water, sanitation, adequate food, and basic healthcare claims most lives in Haiti.
Common Injuries & Ailments
The patient population that FOTCOH serves is generally unable to obtain medical care elsewhere. Without the FOTCOH clinic, our patients would suffer the same high mortality rate and short life expectancy that is pervasive in Haiti.
Some of the most common injuries and ailments our patients face include motorcycle injuries, cooking accidents, hypertension, and diabetes. Lacerations from machetes are also treated in the clinic. “Motos,” or moto bikes, are a common mode of transport in Haiti, and many people are injured in crashes or get burns from the exhaust. The FOTCOH clinic treats road rash, 
which can become infected due to the duration of time that often lapses before patients are able to seek medical care. Cooking accidents can happen when cooking on an open flame or due to grease splash from frying foods. While these injuries are less common, they can be incredibly painful.
Immediately after an accident, some patients aren’t aware of the potential complications and infections that can come from a break in the skin. Due to barriers of time, distance, and cost, patients may delay seeking medical care. When they arrive at the FOTCOH clinic, our team gives their full attention and care to providing the best-quality treatment.
Citations
Life in Haiti
- https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/haiti/#people-and-society
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23288604.2020.1719339
- https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.BRTC.ZS
- https://www.who.int/countries/hti/
Programs