Public Health in Ti Goave

 
 
It’s difficult and presumptuous to come into any Haitian community and identify what the most pressing needs are. I tend to focus on health, but after talking to some focus groups in Ti Goave yesterday it’s hard to know where to begin in terms of development. The men’s focus group felt that it’s premature to ask questions about health when they don’t even have a school. Regardless of where health should go on a list of priorities, the Public Health Program had a good day yesterday.
We started the day with a dentil training to impress the importance of oral hygiene, and we handed out toothbrushes. The kids seemed knowledgeable about healthy tooth practices, even if they have limited access to toothpaste and toothbrushes.
We continued public health work with the women of Ti Goave. We surveyed nearly 50 women about their experiences with maternal health and maternal health care. This survey demonstrated that most women give birth at home, and that money is the biggest obstacle to care. We followed the surveys with a distribution of prenatal vitamins. Many “pregnant” women came out of the woodwork at this point to collect these from us.
            Despite these successes, it appears that the biggest need in Ti Goave went unaddressed. The focus group identified potable water as the most pressing need. And after having spent a day in the Ti Goave sun, I agree with their assessment.