Haiti with a total population of about 7.5 million inhabitants has an estimated per capita income of $250.00 per year. It is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and has the highest percentage of people living in extreme poverty of any nation in the world. As a World Bank study indicates, 65% of its people live in rural areas and two third of them live below the absolute poverty line unable to meet minimum dairy caloric requirements. In some of the more remote areas, there is only one doctor for every 21,000 people and one nurse for every 8,000. Primary care is practically unheard of and medical treatment is only sought in emergencies. Those who walk miles to receive treatment often learn that they cannot afford the medications prescribed to them. As a result, infectious and parasitic diseases are common, and infant mortality is high.

• Infant Mortality rate 133 per 1,000
• Life Expectancy at birth 45 years
• Unemployment rate 70%
• Illiteracy rate 75%
• Malnutrition rate 65% of all ages