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Poverty reduction is a very high national priority for Haiti as
it has
been estimated that as much as 75% of the population is living in
absolute
poverty. The main institution created especially to implement this
national
strategy has been the Central Managing Unit (UCG in French).
Besides the
Ministry of Social Affairs which takes care of labor problems in
Haiti,
the communities take care of so-called Communal asylums where old
people
find their retirement home. NGOs are the most important groups in
this
field, but their contributions should be coordinated by the
Government
of Haiti (GOH).
In 1990, the Department of Labor put the unemployment level at
80%.
The actual range (50% to 80%) accounts for the disguised
unemployment which
is so prevalent in the informal sector (street vendors, etc). Since
the
restoration of democracy in Haiti, creation of jobs has been a key
element,
and a number of labor-intensive projects have been realized since
October
1994. Labor-intensive projects have been designed to build up human
resources
and low-cost technology resources in Haiti. Through an NGO like
PADF, such
labor-intensive projects have included street cleaning, tree
planting and
erosion control projects. PURE I, a World Bank job creation project
has
injected more than 40 million US dollars into the economy through
various
construction projects. PURE II, starting in 1997, has a US$50
million budget
for the coming years.
The supply of potable water is expanding, especially at Cite
Soleil,
the largest city slum in Haiti. Construction of latrines has been
realized
by other NGOs.
Bilateral (Caribbean, Latin-American and European agencies), and
multilateral
(World Bank and IDB) organizations are the main source of
cooperation in
this fight against poverty.
This information is based on Haiti's submission to the 5th
Session
of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April
1997.
Last update: 1 April 1997.
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The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MPHP) is in charge
of
population matters and family planning. The Division of Planning
within
the MPHP articulates the demographic priorities of the government.
The
Institute of Statistics and Informatics takes care of the Census
data and
the population statistics. Since Haiti's population has reached
seven million,
not including the two million Haitians living overseas, proper
demographic
information shall be gathered. The most dynamic regions in terms of
population
should be the object of official census.
The Government considers that the population growth and
fertility levels
are too high. The Government's intervention in these areas is
directed
at lowering both the rate of growth and fertility levels.
Port-au-Prince,
as the fastest growing town in the country, faces the toughest
ecological
and population problems. The population density for Port-au-Prince
is more
than three times the national average, with two million people
crowded
in the metropolitan area. The largest towns are subjects of studies
on
solid waste, dumping sites and for cemetery relocations and
population
explosion.
The female population is the target of many programs in health.
The
local population, which has been made a key part of the
environmental planning
process, is the target of demographic measures to lower the
fertility rate
and reduce the growth of the Haitian population.
The WHO and PAHO furnish the finances that supplement the Government of Haiti's development budget and have been cooperating with Haiti in this domain for the past 50 years. Some NGOs also intervene in population issues.
This information is based on Haiti's submission to the 5th
Session
of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April
1997.
Last update: 1 April 1997.
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The Ministry of Public Health (MPH) makes the Ministry of the
Environment
(MOE) a partner in asking its advice on the environmental safety of
certain
new products. The MOE, as well as its partners, the MPH and the
Ministry
of Commerce, have no real human and financial resources for
capacity building.
The best available technology comes from the Ministry of
Agriculture's
laboratories, but it can only perform routine tests. Most of the
tests
are sent to Miami laboratories. In the public health field, NGOs
from all
over the world are very important. Although no actual figures on
health
expenditure by the NGOs exist, it is believed that they account for
most
of the investment in the health sector.
Haiti, as a poor country is characterized by the lowest
satisfaction
of basic needs. Very weak provision of human health is a key
measure of
the country's poverty. The implementation of the "Health
for all
by the year 2000" Strategy since 1980 and the National
Public
Health Plan of 1996 are new elements for working toward Human
Development
in Haiti. Public awareness of the AIDS problem has been realized
through
TV sports and radio messages.
Promotion of intersectoral cooperation for preventive health,
improvement
of health care services, creation of local health centers in every
commune,
management of health care, and the public environment through the
territorial
municipalities are key objectives. While, in rural areas the
population
depends on both governmental health care and on the NGOs with their
community
health involvement, in the cities people have access to State
services
and private services. In Port-au-Prince, some NGOs maintain
hospitals for
children.
The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) accounts for most of
the
international cooperation in the health sector. The World Health
Organisation
(WHO) and PAHO work together in Haiti, within the same office, but
they
have specific fields of intervention.
This information is based on Haiti's submission to the 5th
Session
of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April
1997.
Last update: 1 April 1997.
Click here to go to the Health and health-related statistical information from the World Health Organization.
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The Ministry of the Environment (MOE) is charged with developing
a programme
of Education Related to Environment (ERE) for the public at
large
and for school-age children in particular.
This information is based on Haiti's submission to the 5th
Session
of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April
1997.
Last update: 1 April 1997.
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The Ministry of Social Affairs (MSA) is the official entity in
charge
of the important social problem of housing. It is supported by
other ministries,
like the Ministry of Environment given the implications of slum
development,
and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for expansion. Within the
MSA,
a division exists --the EPPLS or Social Housing Promotion and
Planning
Institute- which is the key institution dedicated to housing
problems and
particularly to slum regeneration. Finances for an organizational
division
like EPPLS are obtained through UNDP, HABITAT and other bilateral
funding.
The NEAP under development in the Ministry will devote some
adequate recommendations
on this social matter with so many environmental implications.
The very low percentage of public funds allocated to housing in
Haiti
is a sign of the small importance given to this sector.
Consequently a
lot of funding is requested from international organizations for
this field.
Appropriate housing technologies shall be developed so as to
allow the
use of adequate roofing materials, sound proofing, water-heating
and low-cost
housing.
This information is based on Haiti's submission to the 5th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 1 April 1997.
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