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Haiti Expat Health Insurance

The Republic of Haiti is located on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, with its territory comprising one third or the western part of the island. The remaining two thirds of the island constitute the territory of the Dominican Republic. Haiti became the first independent republic in Latin America when a slave uprising in 1804 overthrew the local French government. Haiti shares many cultural links with its Caribbean neighbors and its culture remains influenced by its long and eventful history. French and Haitian Creole are the country’s two official languages. Ranked as the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, Haiti has endured decades of economic struggle which were made worse by the devastating earthquake that struck the country in 2010. There is widespread unemployment and a shortage of skilled labor. Two thirds of the workforce does not have formal employment and a majority of those who are employed work in subsistence farming. Coffee and mangoes are Haiti’s primary exports.

Haiti Health Care and Insurance

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010 is estimated to have killed tens of thousands of people and destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure. Haiti’s already precarious health care system was further decimated with 20 hospitals suffering severe structural damage and eight destroyed completely. Altogether, 60 percent of the country’s health care infrastructure was destroyed. The provision of quality health care remains low and the World Health Organization (WHO) plus a number of international NGOs are on the ground in an attempt to try and improve the situation. Damage to the country’s main port and airport was so severe that emergency aid was initially unable to get into the country. As of September 2010, approximately one million people are thought to still live in emergency tents and shelter that were erected shortly after the disaster with poor sanitation and associated diseases compounding the health problems in the country. Consequently, Haiti’s health care system is now regarded as one of the worst in the world. It is imperative that expatriates and travelers to Haiti purchase international Haiti health insurance prior to their arrival in the country.

The WHO and other international charities and NGOs are now playing a central role in the provision of health care in Haiti. These organizations continue to work tirelessly to try and improve the health care system in Haiti. This task is made more difficult by the general lack of funding made available to the health care sector by the government. The finance required to rebuild primary health care facilities and clinics is now more dependant on continued international aid and funding than ever before. Eight percent of GDP is annually allocated towards the health sector yet this percentage amounts to an equivalent of USD90 per capita, a miserable figure when compared to the regional average of USD3000. With regard to total health spending, funding allocated from the government totals 22 percent, 18 percent is provided from international NGOs and charities with the remaining 60 percent provided by out of pocket cash payments. There is no national health insurance scheme and reliable information on the availability of private health insurance is scarce.

Haiti Travel Insurance Concerns

Several indicators are able to provide an accurate picture of the health sector in Haiti. The infant mortality rate is high at 54.02 deaths per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy at birth is low at just 60 years for males and 63 years for females. Access to clean and safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities continue to cause problems. Conditions in the capital city Port-au-Prince and other larger cities have improved in recent years with approximately 60 percent now using clean water and sanitation. In certain rural areas however, this figure is as low as 10 percent. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is 2 percent which ranks Haiti among the top 30 countries in the world. In 2009, it is estimated that 120,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS. The traveler and expatriate should be aware of the country’s fragile health care system. Purchasing an international Haiti health insurance policy is strongly recommended.

It is thought that 10 percent of the country’s health care workers either died or emigrated in the immediate aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Today, a significant majority of Haiti’s health care professionals are volunteers working with international aid agencies. Haiti’s health system is in flux and without substantial funding focused on the country’s infrastructure; improvements in the standard of health care will continue to be slow and arduous.

Haiti’s geographic location and tropical climate mean it is susceptible to a variety of weather related phenomenon, including periods of drought, floods, hurricanes and tropical storms. Diseases associated with the tropics are also prevalent in Haiti and expatriates and travelers are advised to seek advice from a travel health specialist at least four weeks prior to departure from their home country. The routine vaccination should be updated accordingly and vaccinations for Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid and Rabies are advised. Malaria is prevalent in all areas of Haiti and anti-malarial drugs should be used. An outbreak of Cholera in October 2010 killed 1,400 people and over 60,000 fell ill. Poor sanitation and restricted access to clean drinking water has prevented the problem from being successfully managed. Diseases from food and water are the leading cause of illness among travelers. Travelers are advised to drink bottled water only and to avoid eating raw or undercooked foods.

Haiti Expat Health Insurance

Haiti’s health care facilities are ill prepared to provide medical care for serious emergency situations. Facilities range from mobile health clinics operated by the WHO to inadequately staffed hospitals with outdated equipment which regularly runs low on medical supplies. In the event of an accident or emergency, many surgical procedures and treatments are not available and evacuation to a country with modern facilities such as the United States of America would be required should you be seriously injured in Haiti. Expat health insurance should be taken out as it can cover the expenses of medical air evacuation and the subsequent expensive health care treatment in the USA. Global Health Insurance can assist you, free of charge, through the various health insurance policies that offer you and your fellow travelers adequate protection. For more information on Haiti expat health insurance or international health insurance plans please contact a Global Health Insurance advisor today.