Public health is one among the key factors for any country to attain economic growth (PAHO and WHO 2001). Most of the developing countries are victims of poverty as a result of poor public health. Such countries have a high cost on medical bills and are in shortage of human labour as a result of an ill population. Haiti, as one of the developing countries, is a victim of several health issues ranging from natural calamities and diseases such as cholera and AIDS epidemic (Charles and Miles, 2004).
Such a country requires well structured health policies and programs to improve the health of the population. The country requires prioritizing on providing an effective and modernized health facility to serve the population. This has been noted as an issue for the government is not able to provide good quality and affordable emergency health facilities (Charles and Miles, 2004). Secondly, the government requires getting in partnership with international donors willing to finance the health programs in the country. A donor is critical for most developing countries. According to a report by WHO, approximately forty per cent of most emergency issues are managed by the donors (PAHO and WHO 2001).
Equally important, the Haiti government requires creating programs and labour projects to eradicate poverty. Haiti has approximately seventy five percent of the population living in extreme poverty. This has resulted in most of the population not able to afford treatments. Fourthly, since most of the disease outbreak is as a result of poor sanitation, provision of clean potable water would be imperative to improving the health of the population. Good sanitation and clean water supply is important to enabling good health (PAHO and WHO 2001). Most cities lack a public sewerage facility with most of the excreta polluting most of the water sources. Sanitation can be improved by constructing latrines to curb the spread of diseases such as cholera. The government need to improve environmental health by enabling access to clean water, and controlling any kind of environmental pollution. Since Haiti has a history of being prone to most natural calamities and disasters, the government should have machineries to mitigate such calamities (Charles and Miles, 2004).
The government also requires embracing intersectoral cooperation to improve on the services, setting up of health centres in every community, and cooperating with regional municipalities to implementing heath services. Equally important, the government need to work closely with international cooperation. Cooperation such as WHO intervene by providing medical and health care in most of the needy situations, especially in developing countries and in case of emergencies (PAHO and WHO 2001).
The government also requires providing primary or basic health care such as maternity care; vaccination; providing drugs; and controlling transmittable diseases among others. This is important since most of the population live below the poverty level, hence cannot afford basic treatments.
Lastly, public education is also of equal importance. The government requires embarking on health promotions majorly to educate and inform the general public on their responsibilities towards an ill free population. Public education should address matters such as social mobilization, prevention and controlling of transmittable diseases, and nutrition among others.
The ranking of the eight agenda mentioned above is according to what should be prioritized first to save the situation. Since there are some flaws in the entire public health system, taking curative measures first is critical, then preventive measures follow. The Haiti government need to take measures to heal the situation by providing the most essential facilities and equipment in the hospitals. Equally important, the government need to eradicate poverty by creating labour programs and projects, and to improve on health of the environment. Other measures are on preventing and controlling ill health. Preventive measures focus on a long-term solution as compared to curative measures. Health promotion through public education and social mobilization comes last to preventing ill health.
References
Charles, E., and Miles, M., (2004) Let Haiti live: unjust U.S. policies towards its oldest neighbor, Educa Vision Inc.,
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and World Health Organization (WHO), (2001) Haiti.