Infant mortality in Haïti is about 54 per 1,000 births! In America this ratio is 6/1,000, in France, Spain, Germany and Italy 4/1,000 and in Haïti’s neighbor, Cuba, 6/1,000.
The adjusted lifetime accrued Maternal risk of death related to pregnancy , childbirth and the immediate postpartum period in Haïti is 1 in 93.
Because of these statistics, Currently NOVA has a team of doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals working together on the design of a program that focuses specifically on pregnant mothers and their children up to five years of age. This will include monitoring and care during pregnancy and follow up of both mother and child to insure the complete course of recommended vaccinations and treatment of childhood diseases. Nutrition will be monitored with intervention where necessary, and training courses in the basic principles of personal hygiene, health and nutrition will be offered. Community health fairs and patient clubs will be developed to spread the word locally and garner acceptance of the novel concepts that NOVA will be introducing. The program will operate year round and make a profound difference in the health and well being of our urban and rural neighbors.
Although NOVA Hope for Haïti has been providing general medical care in southern Haïti for more than a decade through its yearly volunteer medical missions, it has long been our goal to establish permanent care in the broad region we serve. As is unfortunately the case in Haïti, we have hit many bumps and snags along the way. However, we have finally opened a permanent facility and the first agenda item to be implemented will be the all-important Mother-Child Program. After joining hands with The Haitian Pilgrims from Louisville, Texas and partnering with them to administer and operate full-time its Centre Materno et Enfantile de Boileau (literally The Mother-Child Clinic), NOVA launched on February 4, 2013 this full-time medical facility with a full-time physician, Altenord Nixon, M.D., and professional staff of five .
