Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates. Naissa Piverger, MPH, a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, was born in Haiti, speaks the languages, and understands what it means to live below the poverty line. In this post, she comments on the significant challenges many women in Haiti face obtaining proper health care for themselves and those they care for.
Naissa Piverger, MPH, is a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
I grew up on a farm in a rural area in Haiti with my grandparents. We had limited resources, including access to necessities, but my grandmother managed to not only feed us, but also her surrounding neighbors.
Fast-forward seventeen years later, my parents and I immigrated to the United States for a better life.
My early educational experience in Haiti was vastly different from what I experienced in the United States. I appreciate having these diverse perspectives as it allows me to have a broader worldview. Unfortunately, through the years, I often watched helplessly from a distance, as natural and man-made calamities caused people in my birth country to suffer.
After the 2010 earthquake, I had the opportunity to visit Haiti and witness the aftermath of these natural disasters.
During my visit, I reconnected with one of my neighbors. Marie – a mother of seven children, including three she adopted – came to pick up vegetables from my grandmother’s garden. Surprised to see me, she noted “My goodness! Look how tall you’ve grown.”
I smiled and hugged her, noticing that she was holding a baby in a shawl wrapped around her. In addition to her own children, Marie was now caring for the three children of a friend who trusted her to do so after her death. She confided in me about the struggles to feed and maintain the health of her children.
She stated, “There are no jobs, no food, and no medical infrastructure. If I want to take my kids to see a doctor, I would have to have the money upfront or else they will not see them. Haiti is polluted by political vagabonds, and they are not doing anything to help us, and as mothers if we are not strong enough for our kids, then who will be strong for them?”
Marie’s eldest child is a 14-year-old named Jessica. Marie taught Jessica to cook as a young child because in Haiti, cooking is a means of survival. “If something happens to me, I want her to be able to help her brothers and sisters,” she explained.
She mentioned that there were hundreds of women in her position: uncertain of when their next meal will be. Many of these women relied on the rainy season to help with the growth of their crops and fruits, never losing faith in God when things did not go as planned.
“Malnutrition in childhood and pregnancy poses a serious threat to childhood survival and long-term well-being. Given this reality, the pressure for many women in Haiti is great as they manage the health of themselves and those they care for,” says Naissa Piverger, MPH.
My experience with Marie was truly rewarding and valuable. I was fortunate to have learned about the perseverance that carried her and many others despite the challenges they faced over the years.
According to USAID, 22 percent of the population in Haiti, including 264,000 children under five, suffer from chronic malnutrition (stunting or low height-for-age) and 66 percent, or 792,000 children under five, suffer from anemia in Haiti. The country’s political instability and extreme poverty leave the residents vulnerable to disasters. The continued exposure to poor infrastructure, food insecurity, natural disasters, and communicable diseases continues to make the population of Haiti at risk for acute and chronic malnutrition.
Malnutrition in childhood and pregnancy poses a serious threat to childhood survival and long-term well-being. Given this reality, the pressure for many women in Haiti is great as they manage the health of themselves and those they care for.
Naissa Piverger, MPH, is a Clinical Research Coordinator in the Department of Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she focuses on maternal and child health. She is working on a first author manuscript examining the barriers and facilitators of active surveillance for prostate cancer. She is among the top four individuals selected to present manuscripts at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting and Expo in the fall of 2019.