By Jeremy Writt | Fundraising Specialist
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Haiti has the highest incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the Western Hemisphere. Persistent outbreaks of cholera and an ongoing effort to reduce HIV cases are additional factors that often take attention away from oral and vision health. This could have disastrous effects in a nation that has a population of more than 11 million, but precious few dental professionals.
Remote Area Medical staff and volunteers are gearing up for another trip to Haiti where they will again deliver much-needed medical and dental care to people in need. RAM remains committed to this region and will for the first time be adding vision care to its repertoire of services available to Haitians.
“We’re proud that this will be the first time we’re offering full vision services in Haiti,” said Poppy Green, RAM’s senior clinic coordinator. “The team will fly into Port au Prince. Then we’re traveling four and a half, five hours up into the mountains of Hinche. It’s quite the trek up there,” Green said.
RAM’s biannual trips to Haiti provide these isolated villages with access to medical professionals who can provide continuing care as well as address acute issues.
“In a sense, we’ve become their primary care. The beauty of what we’re doing now with these scheduled operations going there twice a year, we’re able to see a lot of the same people as well as address acute needs,” Green said.
Green and the rest of the RAM team head to Haiti in early September and hope to serve 1,000 patients during their stay. Your support of the Remote Area Medical Haiti program makes all of it possible.
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