Cholera control and anti-Haitian stigma in the Dominican Republic: from migration policy to lived experience.

As cholera spread from Haiti to the Dominican Republic, Haitian migrants, a largely undocumented and stigmatized population in Dominican society, became a focus of public health concern. Concurrent to the epidemic, the Dominican legislature enacted new documentation requirements. This paper presents findings from an ethnographic study of anti-Haitian stigma in the Dominican Republic from June to August 2012. Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with Haitian and Dominican community members. Five in-depth interviews were held with key informants in the migration policy sector. Theoretical frameworks of stigma's moral experience guided the analysis of how cholera was perceived, ways in which blame was assigned and felt and the relationship between documentation and healthcare access. In FGDs, both Haitians and Dominicans expressed fear of cholera and underscored the importance of public health messages to prevent the epidemic's spread. However, health messages also figured into experiences of stigma and rationales for blame. For Dominicans, failure to follow public health advice justified the blame of Haitians and seemed to confirm anti-Haitian sentiments. Haitians communicated a sense of powerlessness to follow public health messages given structural constraints like lack of safe water and sanitation, difficulty accessing healthcare and lack of documentation. In effect, by making documentation more difficult to obtain, the migration policy undermined cholera programs and contributed to ongoing processes of moral disqualification. Efforts to eliminate cholera from the island should consider how policy and stigma can undermine public health campaigns and further jeopardize the everyday 'being-in-the-world' of vulnerable groups.

Use of HIV primary care by HIV-positive Haitian immigrants in Miami, Florida.

Little is known about the use of HIV primary care among Haitian immigrants in the USA. The present study utilizes data from a survey of HIV-positive Haitians recruited from an HIV primary care clinic in Miami, Florida, to examine barriers and facilitators of regular use of HIV care by this population. Selection of measures was guided by the Andersen Model of Health Services Utilization for Vulnerable Populations. The dependent variable, regular use of HIV primary care, was operationalized as completion of four or more HIV primary care visits during the previous 12 months. Of the 96 participants surveyed, approximately three-fourths did not graduate from high school and reported an annual income of up to $5000. Seventy-nine percent of participants completed four or more visits in the past year. On univariate as well as multivariate analyses, participants without formal education or those with high psychological distress were significantly less likely to have used HIV primary care regularly than those who attended school or who were less distressed, respectively. The findings emphasize the need for health care practitioners to pay close attention to the education level and the mental health status of their Haitian HIV patients. The data also suggest that once these individuals are linked to care and offered assistance with their daily challenges, they are very likely to stay connected to care and to take their antiretroviral medicines.

Creating community-academic partnerships for cancer disparities research and health promotion.

To effectively attenuate cancer disparities in multiethnic, medically underserved populations, interventions must be developed collaboratively through solid community-academic partnerships and driven by community-based participatory research (CBPR). The Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network (TBCCN) has been created to identify and implement interventions to address local cancer disparities in partnership with community-based nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, community health centers, local media, and adult literacy and education organizations. TBCCN activities and research efforts are geared toward addressing critical information and access issues related to cancer control and prevention in diverse communities in the Tampa Bay area. Such efforts include cross-cultural health promotion, screening, and awareness activities in addition to applied research projects that are rooted in communities and guided by CBPR methods. This article describes these activities as examples of partnership building to positively affect cancer disparities, promote community health, and set the stage for community-based research partnerships.

The creation and integration of a nurse educator position in two hospitals in Haiti.

BACKGROUND: Continuing education is an integral part of nursing professional development and improving healthcare delivery, but literature on continuing education initiatives in low-resource settings is limited. PURPOSE: To describe the creation and integration of a nurse educator (NE) position in two Haitian hospitals and highlight barriers and facilitators experienced by the NEs in their role. METHODS: Four NEs and three support staff involved in the creation and integration of the NE positions were interviewed. Supplementary data were gathered through participant observation and document review. Data were compiled and summarized. DISCUSSION: NEs were hired to assess learning needs, evaluate skills, train and mentor nurses, and provide ongoing support to assure application of new knowledge. Barriers included lack of specialized training and limited informational resources to develop education activities, role confusion and heavy workload, poor attendance and disparate education needs of nurses, and insufficient hospital resources and support to implement practice changes. Facilitators included previous management experience, peer support, and a perception of being valued by patients and colleagues and making a difference regarding nursing care and patient outcomes. CONCLUSION: The NE is a leadership role and a promising, sustainable initiative for developing the nursing profession in Haiti.

Community health needs assessment and action planning in seven Dominican bateyes.

Haitians and persons of Haitian descent living in the Dominican Republic are often relegated to living in deeply impoverished communities called bateyes. Despite obvious needs and some NGO presence in the bateyes, little assessment has been done to identify specific needs as understood and experienced by community members themselves. This article describes a community health needs assessment and action planning process developed and implemented by university researchers, NGO staff, and community members to identify needed areas for community-based health intervention in seven Dominican bateyes. Surveys and focus groups were used to collect data about the needs and assets of the bateyes and their residents around the following broad topics: demographics, health, education, financial/economy, legal issues, and transportation/infrastructure. These data were then used to guide an action-planning process that identified clean water, access to food and nutritional diversity, and economic development as primary and immediate needs in the communities. The process, its outcomes, and lessons learned are discussed.

Health literacy, information seeking, and trust in information in Haitians.

OBJECTIVES: To assess heath literacy, health information seeking, and trust in health-related information among Haitian immigrants seen in primary care. METHODS: Health literacy was measured by the Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS); items on health information use were from the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey. RESULTS: BHLS scores differed according to age, education, and survey language. Participants with lower levels of health literacy tended to be more likely to place "a lot" or "some" trust in family and friends and religious organizations and leaders as sources of information about health or medical topics. CONCLUSIONS: Constructing a culturally-tailored and appropriate intervention regarding health promotion requires understanding how the population accesses and conveys health information.

Determinantes sociais da saúde que impactam a vivência da imigração no Brasil / Social determinants of health that impact the experience of immigration in Brazil / Determinantes sociales de la salud que impactan la experiencia de la inmigración en Brasil

Objetivo: compreender as percepções dos imigrantes haitianos sobre os Determinantes Sociais da Saúde que impactam a vivência da imigração. Método: pesquisa qualitativa, do tipo pesquisa ação participante, fundamentada no Itinerário de Pesquisa de Paulo Freire, que constitui três fases: Investigação Temática; Codificação e Descodificação; Desvelamento Crítico. Realizou-se Círculo de Cultura, no segundo semestre de 2019, com a participação de 12 imigrantes haitianos, estudantes universitários, residentes no oeste de Santa Catarina, Brasil, após aprovação pelo Comitê de Ética em pesquisa. Resultados: nos diálogos emergiram duas temáticas para discussão como determinação social da saúde e doença: saúde do imigrante no Brasil; desafios de estudar e trabalhar. Conclusão: A iniquidade de acesso aos direitos, escasso tempo para dormir e praticar exercícios físicos, saudade do Haiti, dificuldade financeira, adaptação à cultura brasileira e discriminação foram apontados como fatores determinantes que afetam a saúde. Urge a necessidade da construção de políticas públicas que garantam os direitos dos imigrantes no Brasil.

Objective: to understand the perceptions of Haitian immigrants about the social determinants of health that impact on the experience of immigration. Method: this qualitative, participant action study was based on Paulo Freire's research itinerary, which consists of three phases: thematic research; encoding and decoding; and critical unveiling. A "culture circle" was held, after ethics committee approval, in the second half of 2019, with the participation of 12 immigrant Haitian university students residing in western Santa Catarina, Brazil. Results: in the dialogues, two themes emerged for discussion as representing the social determination of health and disease: immigrants' health in Brazil; and challenges of studying and working. Conclusion: inequity in access to rights, lack of time to sleep and exercise, homesickness for Haiti, financial difficulties, adaptation to Brazilian culture, and discrimination were identified as determinant factors that affect health. There is an urgent need to build public policies to guarantee immigrants' rights in Brazil.

Objetivo: comprender las percepciones de los inmigrantes haitianos sobre los determinantes sociales de la salud que impactan en la experiencia de la inmigración. Método: este estudio cualitativo de acción participante se basó en el itinerario de investigación de Paulo Freire, que consta de tres fases: investigación temática; codificación y decodificación; y revelación crítica. Se realizó un "círculo cultural", luego de la aprobación del comité de ética, en el segundo semestre de 2019, con la participación de 12 estudiantes universitarios haitianos inmigrantes residentes en el occidente de Santa Catarina, Brasil. Resultados: en los diálogos surgieron dos temas de discusión que representan la determinación social de la salud y la enfermedad: la salud de los inmigrantes en Brasil; y desafíos de estudiar y trabajar. Conclusión: la inequidad en el acceso a los derechos, la falta de tiempo para dormir y hacer ejercicio, la nostalgia por Haití, las dificultades económicas, la adaptación a la cultura brasileña y la discriminación fueron identificadas como factores determinantes que afectan la salud. Urge construir políticas públicas para garantizar los derechos de los inmigrantes en Brasil.

Pandemia e imigração: famílias haitianas no enfrentamento da COVID-19 no Brasil / Pandemic and immigration: haitian families facing COVID-19 in Brazil / Pandemia e inmigración: familias haitianas que enfrentan COVID-19 en Brasil

Objetivo: compreender a vivência do enfrentamento e repercussões da COVID-19 na perspectiva das famílias de imigrantes haitianos no Brasil. Método: estudo qualitativo, do tipo ação-participante, fundamentado no Itinerário de Pesquisa de Paulo Freire, que possui três fases: Investigação Temática; Codificação e Descodificação; Desvelamento Crítico. Foi realizado Círculo de Cultura Virtual em maio de 2020, com 10 famílias de imigrantes haitianos, residentes no oeste de Santa Catarina. Resultados: os participantes discutiram preocupações geradas no enfrentamento da pandemia: trabalho e subsistência da família no Brasil e no Haiti; incerteza do futuro; risco de contaminação e de morrer no Brasil; cancelamento das aulas dos filhos; desânimo e solidão. Desvelaram oportunidades na vivência da pandemia: ajuda recebida; força pessoal e familiar; repensar a vida; confiança em Deus e esperança. Conclusões e implicações para a prática: os imigrantes haitianos se encontram em situação de vulnerabilidade social, econômica e de saúde mental no enfrentamento da COVID-19. A identificação dessa vulnerabilidade, considerando fatores sociais, econômicos e culturais é fundamental à proposição de políticas públicas e adoção de estratégias efetivas de enfrentamento da situação. O Círculo de Cultura Virtual amplia possibilidades para a enfermagem, pois possibilita as interações necessárias à promoção da saúde, mesmo diante da pandemia

Objective: to understand the experience of coping and repercussions of COVID-19 from the perspective of Haitian immigrant families in Brazil. Method: qualitative, action-participant study, based on Paulo Freire's Research Itinerary, which has three phases: Thematic Research; Encoding and Decoding; Critical Unveiling. A Virtual Culture Circle was held in May 2020, with 10 families of Haitian immigrants residing in western Santa Catarina. Results: the participants discussed concerns generated in facing the pandemic: work and family subsistence in Brazil and Haiti; uncertainty of the future; risk of contamination and dying in Brazil; cancellation of children's classes; discouragement and loneliness. They revealed opportunities in experiencing the pandemic: help received; personal and family strength; rethinking life; trust in God and hope. Conclusions and implications for practice: Haitian immigrants are in a situation of social, economic and mental health vulnerability when facing COVID-19. The identification of this vulnerability considering social, economic and cultural factors is fundamental to the proposition of public policies and the adoption of effective strategies to face the situation. The Virtual Culture Circle expands possibilities for nursing, as it enables the interactions necessary for health promotion, even in the face of the pandemic

Objetivo: comprender la experiencia de afrontamiento y las repercusiones de COVID-19 desde la perspectiva de las familias de inmigrantes haitianos en Brasil. Método: estudio cualitativo, de tipo acción-participante, basado en el Itinerario de Investigación de Paulo Freire, que tiene tres fases: Investigación temática; Codificación y decodificación; Revelación crítica. En mayo de 2020 se realizó un Círculo de Cultura Virtual, con 10 familias de inmigrantes haitianos que residen en el oeste de Santa Catarina. Resultados: los participantes discutieron las preocupaciones generadas al enfrentar la pandemia: el trabajo y la subsistencia familiar en Brasil y Haití; la incertidumbre del futuro; el riesgo de contaminación y muerte en Brasil; la cancelación de las clases infantiles; el desánimo y la soledad. Revelaron oportunidades en la experiencia de la pandemia: la ayuda recibida; fortaleza personal y familiar; el repensar la vida; la confianza en Dios y la esperanza. Conclusiones e implicaciones para la práctica: los inmigrantes haitianos se encuentran en una situación de vulnerabilidad social, económica y de salud mental en la confrontación de COVID-19. La identificación de esta vulnerabilidad, considerando los factores sociales, económicos y culturales es fundamental para la propuesta de políticas públicas y la adopción de estrategias efectivas para enfrentar la situación. El Círculo de Cultura Virtual amplía las posibilidades de la enfermería, ya que permite las interacciones necesarias para la promoción de la salud, incluso ante la pandemia

Determinantes sociais da saúde de mulheres imigrantes haitianas: repercussões no enfrentamento da COVID-19 / Social determinants of health of Haitian immigrant women: repercussions in facing COVID-19

Objetivos: Compreender as repercussões da COVID-19 no contexto dos determinantes sociais da saúde de mulheres imigrantes haitianas. Método: Estudo qualitativo, tipo ação-participante, fundamentado nos pressupostos de Freire, realizando-se um Círculo de Cultura Virtual, com a participação de 11 mulheres imigrantes haitianas. Foram percorridas as etapas do Itinerário de Pesquisa: Investigação Temática; Codificação e Descodificação; Desvelamento Crítico. Resultados: Nos diálogos emergiram o medo em relação à pandemia, escassos recursos econômicos, preconceito e racismo como aspectos dos determinantes sociais de saúde, que implicam na sua saúde mental das imigrantes, mas que referiram sentir-se acolhidas no Brasil. Conclusão: A partir dos determinantes sociais da saúde, apresentados pelas mulheres imigrantes haitianas no enfrentamento da pandemia mostra- se relevante a articulação entre ações de promoção da saúde, com ênfase na competência cultural, de forma a estimular o empoderamento das pessoas.

Objectives: To understand the repercussions of COVID-19 in the context of the social determinants of health of Haitian immigrant women. Method: Qualitative, participatory action study, based on Freire's assumptions, with a Virtual Culture Circle andbthe participation of eleven Haitian immigrant women. The stages of the Research Itinerary were covered: Thematic Research; Encoding and Decoding; Critical Unveiling. Results: In the dialogues, fear of the pandemic, scarce economic resources, prejudice, and racism emerged as aspects of the social determinants of health, which affect the mental health of immigrants but who mentioned feeling welcomed in Brazil. Conclusion: Based on the social determinants of health, presented by Haitian immigrant women in facing the pandemic, the collaboration between health promotion actions is relevant, with an emphasis on cultural capability, in order to stimulate the empowerment of individuals.

AIDS, public policy and biomedical research.

The current epidemic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) raises numerous public policy concerns for the medical community. The issues can be divided into two groups. Those concerns which require both immediate action and results are referred to as short-term issues. Those issues whose results will not be forthcoming for an indefinite time are called long-term issues. Short-term issues include the accuracy of reporting cases of AIDS, patient confidentiality, conditions of third-party reimbursement for health care, the breech of ethical responsibility of health care workers in caring for AIDS patients, public education and the problems of providing care in a disease of unknown cause and cure. Long-term issues focus on the organization of AIDS research--the role of federal health agencies, provisions for rebudgeting funds and medical research personnel, and the coordination of disparate research efforts. The issues raised by AIDS are discussed within the context of the history of the epidemic in an attempt to articulate unresolved problems and to encourage debate within the medical community.

Influence of a nutrition education program (EFNEP) on infant nutrition in East Harlem.

An assessment of the effectiveness of aides working in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) to improve the nutritional status of infants was conducted with a group of 118 infants attending a well-baby clinic in a low-income area of New York City. In addition to clinic care, the fifty-seven study infants received home visits from a nutrition aide whose role was to reinforce nutritional advice received at the clinic. The sixty-one control infants received only regular clinic care. The benefits of having an aide were suggested by three observations: Reduction in the practice of introducing whole cow's milk to young infants, familiarizing older infants with a variety of foods, and reducing the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia. Few of the differences between study and control infants achieved statistical significance, although trends consistently indicated that the presence of aides was beneficial. The problems of assessing the effectiveness of nutrition education programs with healthy infants are discussed.

The immigrant Haitian mother: transcultural nursing perspective on preventive health care for children.

Thirty immigrant Haitian mothers in Southeast Florida were interviewed regarding their beliefs and practices about preventive health care (illness prevention and health maintenance measures) for infants and preschool children (up to age 5). All mothers used preventive health care measures from both the Western biomedical and traditional Haitian ethnomedical (folk) systems. Ninety-seven percent used magico-religious measures; 47% administered home remedies; 47% gave children over-the-counter drugs; and 35% utilized a variety of measures to ensure cold air did not enter neonates and cause illness or pain. The Haitian mothers considered the preventive health care measures effective because the children remained healthy and will likely use them again. They sought consultation from a variety of individuals who formed their health management groups and child caretaker networks. Infants and toddlers were considered at higher risk than newborns for illness due to "evil harm" inflicted by other people and/or voodoo spirits. Implications for transcultural nursing practice include developing community outreach programs, implementing nursing interventions that combine biomedical and ethnomedical preventive health care measures, and functioning as part of the health management group. The authors wish to thank Maude Vincent, R.N., for her assistance in data gathering and analysis.

Social determinants of mental health treatment among Haitian, African American, and White youth in community health centers.

We examine adequate mental health treatment, emergency room (ER) use, and early treatment dropout for Haitian, African American and White youth with a psychiatric diagnosis treated in community health centers in the United States. We present associations with possible socioeconomic determinants of care. Adequate treatment was less likely among Haitian youth from areas with greater poverty and among all youth from areas with more female-headed households. Medicaid-insured youth had more ER visits, especially African Americans. The relative impact of poverty on adequate care was higher for Haitians than Whites, and the relative impact of Medicaid coverage on ER use was higher for African Americans than for Whites. Early dropout was more likely among youth who were uninsured or from areas with more female-headed households. Socioeconomic factors and insurance status were significant determinants of care. Haitians living in poverty in the U.S. may face barriers to mental health services relative to other racial/ethnic groups.

Cuban medical cooperation in Haiti: one of the world's best-kept secrets.

This article analyzes Cuba's medical role in Haiti since Hurricane Georges in 1998, with particular emphasis on the Cuban government's response to the 2010 earthquake. The article examines two central themes. First, it assesses the enormous impact on public health that Cuba has made since 1998, and second, it provides a comparative analysis of Cuba's medical role since the earthquake.

Cacophonies of aid, failed state building and NGOs in Haiti: setting the stage for disaster, envisioning the future.

The January 2010 earthquake in Haiti was a catastrophe not only for the loss of life it caused, but also because it destroyed the very thin layer of state administrative capacity that was in place in the country. This article argues that the fragility of the Haitian state institutions was exacerbated by international strategies that promoted NGOs as substitutes for the state. These strategies have generated a vicious circle that, while solving immediate logistical problems, ended up weakening Haiti's institutions. However, the article does not call for an overarching condemnation of NGOs. Instead, it explores two cases of community-based NGOs, Partners In Health and Fonkoze, that have contributed to creating durable social capital, generated employment and provided functioning services to the communities where they operated. The article shows that organisations that are financially independent and internationally connected, embrace a needs-based approach to their activities and share a long-term commitment to the communities within which they operate can contribute to bringing about substantial improvement for people living in situations of extreme poverty. It concludes that in the aftermath of a crisis of the dimension of the January earthquake it is crucial to channel support towards organisations that show this type of commitment.