Change for Haiti

Haiti: An IntroductionHaiti is a country

that takes up the western end of Hispaniola, an island in the Caribbean Sea, near Cuba and the Bahamas

Haiti, which became an independent nation in 1804, is home to 9.2 million people

Haiti Is the Poorest CountryIn the Western Hemisphere54% of Haitians live on less

than $1 per day78% live on less than $2

per dayMore than two-thirds of

workers do not have regular jobs with steady paychecks

Most people in the capital, Port-au-Prince, do not have access to tap water

38% of Haitian adults are not able to read or write

80 out of every 1,000 newborn Haitian children die before their first birthdaySources: http://www.haitipartners.org;

http://www.dec.org.uk/haiti-earthquake-facts-and-figures

A January 2010EarthquakeDevastated Haiti220,000 people were killed300,000 people were hurt180,000 homes were damaged1.5 million people were left

homeless4,000 schools were damaged or

destroyedSource: http://www.dec.org.uk/haiti-earthquake-facts-and-figures

The People of Haiti FaceMany Health ChallengesFollowing the earthquake, 216,000 people

were infected with cholera, a life-threatening intestinal disorder, and 4,000 died of the disease

Even before the earthquake, many Haitian suffered from serious infectious diseases, including typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria, and leptospirosis

Half of Haitian children under age 5 have malnutrition

Most Haitians do not have easy access to a doctor

Sources: http://www.haitipartners.org; http://www.dec.org.uk/haiti-earthquake-facts-and-figures; The CIA World Factbook 2011.

One of the Greatest Health Problems is Lymphatic Filariasis (LF)1 in 4 people in Haiti is infected with

lymphatic filariasis (LF), a parasitic disease caused by microscopic-sized worms and spread from one person to another by mosquito bite

By inhabiting the human lymph system, the LF parasite can cause terrible swelling, resulting in pain, disfigurement, and inability to workMany people with LF are shunned

by their relatives and neighborsSources: http://haiti.nd.edu/program-history/; http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lymphaticfilariasis/

The Good News: The Fighting Irish Are Fighting for the People of Haiti

Father Tom Streit, CSC, PhD, a biologyprofessor at Notre Dame, is leading an effort to wipe out LF by giving as manyHaitians as possible two drugs– diethycarbamazine (DEC) and albendazole – which kill the parasites,and fortified salt, which makes the drugs more effective

In 2010/2011, the Notre Dame Haiti Program,in collaboration with its partners, achievedisland-wide coverage of the entire eligiblepopulation for the first time

To wipe out the disease, however, repeat drug treatment each year for many years is necessarySources: http://haiti.nd.edu/program-history/; http://haiti.nd.edu/activities/; http://haiti.nd.edu/

How You Can Help Notre DameIn the Fight Against LF This LentFather Streit and Notre Dame’s Haiti Program need funds to

educate the Haitian people about the disease, support production of fortified salt, and administer treatments

Schools and their students can help by raising funds through many types of projectsA free-throw contest, or volleyball or dodge ball tournamentA “Color Day,” where contributors can wear their own clothes

instead of uniforms on a certain dayContests to see which class in the school can collect the most

changeStudent Council bake sales or other activities in which the funds

raised are donated to Notre Dame’s Haiti ProgramThis is a great opportunity for students who need service

hoursAny amount helps; please conduct a program to help Father

Streit and the people of Haiti

Giving Your Change To Notre Dame’s Haiti ProgramPlease send the money you raise directly to:

The Notre Dame Haiti Program305 Brownson HallNotre Dame, IN 46556Attention: Diana Green

For more information on the Notre Dame Haiti Program, please visit: http://haiti.nd.edu/

Thank you for anything you can do to help with this important project and for contributing to “Change for Haiti”

Support Change for Haiti, and Help Notre Dame Defeat LF

Thank You!