An Overview of Anse-a-pitre, Haiti by Dr. Alexandre Widner
Anse-a-pitre is a border town located in the southeast province of Haiti. It is surrounded by Fonds Verettes to the North, the town of Thiotte to the west, the Dominican Republic to the east, and the Carribbean Sea to the south. It is 185.19 km2, with a population of approximately 25,000 inhabitants, RGPH [Global Public Health publication] 2002. Of that population the ratio is 97 men to 100 women, living in two areas---the village of Bois d'Orme and Boucan-Guillaume and the village of Banane. The population of the city of Anse-a-pitre is estimated at approximately 8,000 inhabitants. Seventy per cent of the land is mountainous, with temperatures ranging from warm close to the sea and more humid at the highest elevations.)
The population breaks down as follows:
- 43.1% - 0-15 years of age
- 51.4% - 15-64 years of age
- 5.5% - over 65 years of age
Regarding health matters, an out-patient Health Center was built to serve this population in 1997. Two nurses worked there until 2001 when the first doctor came, for his residency at the center. Currently, there is a doctor in attendance who works for the Health Center under contract with the Southeast Regional Health Department (MSPP). Befote this time, health care in said community was primarily provided by "tradipracticos" who lack scientific knowledge in the field of medicine.
The most frequent health problems in the area are:
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- high infant/mother mortality
- a high incidence of HIV/AIDS-TB
- infant malnutrition due to unmet needs
- pre-term labor
- Malaria and typhoid have diminished quite a bit thanks to access to potable drinking water provided by the Foundation for Peace.
Life expectancy for the population is 51 years of age for women and 48 for men. There is no electricity, the highway is in a bad state, which does not allow for people who live in remote areas to access already limited health services. Deaths can also result from limited access to a center staffed with qualified medical and paramedic staff. In this town, there is no vocational school, and the rate of illiteracy is estimated at 65%.
Finally, I do not want to conclude this brief presentation without saying thank you very much to the leadership of the Foundation for Peace for their efforts in: the construction of the elementary school that provides free education to over 250 students, the Purification Center for Potable Water, as well as the Pentecostal Church, M.I., and the projects underway, such as the construction of a clinic to provide more health care to the poorest among us.