An Analysis of Food Insecurity and Health Crisis in Haiti

This presentation analyzes the persistent food insecurity and shortage crisis in Haiti, examining its historical context, the impact of natural disasters, and the resulting health outcomes. It highlights the chronic effects of poverty, the role of events like the 2010 earthquake, and the alarming food insecurity rate of 47%, with 10% experiencing severe levels. The presentation utilizes a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) framework to evaluate the crisis, focusing on the effects on children and expectant women, the rise of malnutrition, and the prevalence of foodborne illnesses. It explores the demographics of affected populations, the impact of social determinants of health, and the effectiveness of current policy frameworks, including those by the FAO and WFP. The presentation also identifies the need for multi-sectoral responses and emphasizes the importance of addressing socioeconomic inequalities and environmental issues to improve long-term outcomes. The conclusion stresses the importance of addressing foodborne diseases, socioeconomic disparities, and maintaining updated demographic records for effective crisis management.

PowerPoint notes: Food insecurity and shortage in Haiti
Slide 1: Topic
Slide 2: Haiti has been suffering from high rates of food shortage and insecurity since the
last two decades. A number of factors have contributed to this alarming state of affairs, both long
term as well as short term. Chronic, long term effects of poverty and underprivileged
socioeconomic status, even before occurrences of natural disasters like the earthquake of 2010
(Rebick et al., 2016). However, a number of crises in the form of a history of deadly natural
disasters over the last two decades, such as droughts, earthquakes, floods and cyclones have
aggravated the food availability issue in Haiti. Hence, as noted by the China National Space
Administration (CNSA), Haiti is suffering from a food insecurity rate of 47%, with 10%
indicating severe rates of food insecurity (Parent et al., 2015).
Slide 4: A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Framework will be chosen to evaluate the
case study of Haiti. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an HIA implies
procedures and framework which have been developed for the estimation of the effectiveness of
a concerned policy or public health intervention in response to a the management of a critical
issue in a nation, which can be of health or environmental in nature. HIA has been chosen since
this case study reflects an ongoing public health issue of a nation, namely hunger, food shortage
and insecurity in Haiti. An HIA will be useful since it will provide key insights on current effects
of existing frameworks, as well as pave way for possibilities of future improvements (World
Health Organization, 2019).
Slide 5: According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID),
undernourishment has been reported across 40% of Haitian households with chronic levels of

malnourishment reported across a population of 30% of the nation’s children. Since the
occurrence of a damaging hurricane in 2016, Haiti recorded critical levels of hunger and poor
health status in accordance to the Global Hunger Index of 2015. As reported by the Demographic
and Health Survey in 2012, stunting in Haitian children were reported to be 23.8%. At present,
the World Food Programme has continued to provide long term assistance to the local
government, through the provision of hot meals and availability of crisis services. The efforts of
the local government to implement policies on food shortage mitigation have been uncoordinated
and lacking in potential to address the issue on a national scale (United States Agency for
International Development, 2019).
Slide 6: Food insecurity and hunger have affected majorly the children and expectant
women in Haiti (Lusk &Andre, 2017). As reported by the World Health Organization, food
insecurity and shortage have increased the prevalence of consumption of contaminated food and
water, resulting in deaths of children from diarrhea (12.1%), malnutrition (9.1%), perinatal
infections (10.2%) and acute respiratory infections (World Health Organization, 2019). In
2000, maternal mortality rates were reported to be 523 per 100, 000 live births. The World
Bank has reported that 18.9% children are severely malnourished and 29.7% are malnourished.
At present, 1 out of 5 children are undernourished, 1 out of 10 are severely malnourished and
some children have been reported to survive with only one meal (Bush et al., 2015).
Slide 7: The demographics of population groups in Haiti are estimated and identified by
the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics. It has been estimated that 286, 000 children
within the age group of 5 and 14 years are considered to be vulnerable to poor health status and
exploitation due to their poor socioeconomic status, lack of education, homelessness or
separation from their parents. However, there still a need to conduct further identification of

disadvantaged population groups of women and children affected by food insecurity and
identified, through updating population registries and conducting decentralized surveys. As
evidenced by Mortality, Morbidity and Service Utilization Survey, approximately 20% children
within the age group of 5 years have not been registered (Pan American Health Organization,
2019).
Slide 8: The alarming increase in mortality rates due to the occurrence of severe food
shortages and insecurity have further been aggravated due to Haiti’s history of frequently
encountering natural disasters (Richterman et al., 2019). Over the last two decades, Haiti has
suffered from a number of natural disasters in the form of earthquakes, tropical storms and
flooding which have further resulted in erosion of soil and the occurrences of droughts - all of
which have contributed extensively to the high losses of natural resources, food shortage and
food insecurity in the country. Further aggravating the problem, is the rising rates of population,
poverty and of natural resources in the Haitian population (Kligerman et al., 2015).
Slide 10: Considering the crisis of food insecurity and food shortage in Haiti, the health
risk of malnutrition and deficiencies have received highest priority by international policy
frameworks due to its detrimental effects on the overall health of the population. This can be
evidenced by the World Food Program’s efforts to collaboratively work with the Haitian
government in providing children’s hot meals and food rations for 30 days (World Food
Programme, 2019). The health risk of malnutrition has also been prioritized by the Food and
Agricultural Organization’s Humanitarian Response Plan aimed at improving dairy and livestock
production (Food and Agricultural Organization, 2019). However, there has been a lack of
prioritization of the association between food crisis and rising food borne illnesses (such as
cholera) in Haiti (Richterman et al., 2019).

Slide 12: Social determinants of health amidst the food crisis in Haiti have been
identified by the Pan American Health Organization, which have reported structural inequalities
between individuals residing in the capital of Port-au-Prince as compared to the rest of the
regions. Approximately 6 million people have been reported to live below the poverty line and
2.5 million have been estimated to be unable to afford more than one meal a day (Pan American
Health Organization, 2019). However, in criticism, limited evidence exists concerning the
determinants of environmental and physical health, other than existing information reporting
Haiti’s high susceptibility to natural disasters and cholera prevalence (Evans & Bassani, 2018).
Slide 13: Benefits of health after addressing food crisis in Haiti, will be determined by
FAO’s framework of ‘Emergency Response Plan’, in terms of: assessment of the potential and
scope delivered by national food crisis management policies, monitoring of rates of morbidity,
mortality and nutritional status, measurement of values chains in national agricultural and public
investment policies, evaluation of national resource management strategies in response to
disaster management and amendments to exiting national plan targeting agricultural departments
and food industries (Food and Agricultural Organization, 2019).
Slide 14: The impact of negative health outcomes due to the food crisis in Haiti has been
reported to be highest among the children in Haiti. Insecurities and shortages of food have
resulted in nutritional stunting, wasting and undernourishment of children at rates of 21.9%,
5.1% and 11.4% in the year 2012 (Evans & Bassani, 2018). Overall, the food crisis caused due
to natural disasters such as hurricanes and droughts has resulted in detrimental health impacts
across the entire population resulting in the occurrence of undernourishment in among 50% of
the national population (Lowrance et al., 2017). Further, the emergence of food crisis after being

inflicted with a devastating earthquake in 2010, impacted the population with a transmission of
cholera (Stewart, 2018).
Slide 15: Overall, the risks of malnourishment due to food shortages in Haiti have been
managed effectively as evidenced by the previously discussed policy efforts by the FAO and the
WFP through provision of hot meals and ratios (Bush et al., 2015). At present, beneficial
outcomes indicating that the risks have been minimized significantly can be evidenced in the
decreased rates of stunting and malnourishment from 2006 to 2012, reported by the
Demographic and Health Survey (Lusk & Andre, 2017). However, the lack of adequate
consideration of the association between cholera and food shortage in Haiti indicates
incomprehensiveness in terms of policy effectiveness (Steckley & Shamsie, 2015).
Slide 16: Despite the effectiveness of existing policies in the reduction of rates of
malnourishment in the Haitian population, the nation’s health status continues to be classified as
‘alarming’ according to the Global Hunger Index in 2015 (Rebick et al., 2016). Further, Haiti’s
high susceptibility to being inflicted by environmental crises in terms of natural disasters
continue to be a major concern in the ongoing risk of food shortage acquisition. This is
especially after the occurrence of hurricane Mathew and Irma which further resulted in a
continuum of food shortages in Haiti (Steckley & Shamsie, 2015). Coupled with this, is the
ongoing structural and societal inequities prevalent in the Haitian society is indicative of the fact
that the issue of food shortage may emerge again (Gosselin, 2016).
Slide 17: A multi-sectoral response has been utilized in the management of the food
shortage and food insecurity in Haiti. This can be evidenced in the targeting of improvements in
health and agricultural sectors by the FAO, WHO and WFP (Steckley & Shamsie, 2015).
Emphasis in environmental issues have been conducted extensively by the Pan American Health

Organization and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (Parent et al., 2015).
However, a lack of toxicological, microbial and pathogenic oriented approaches can be observed
as evidenced by limited efforts targeting the issue of cholera in Haiti (Ramachandran & Walz,
2015).
Slide 18: Current policy frameworks targeting the food shortage and insecurity crisis in
Haiti indicate that Sustainable Development Goals of eradication of hunger, improvement of
health and education and emphasis on environmental issues have been address (Ramachandran &
Walz, 2015). . However, considering the prevalence of inequality and poor socioeconomic
conditions, addressing Sustainable Development Goals in terms of eradicating inequality and
enhancing urbanization, are required to be applied by existing policy frameworks for further
improvement (Lowrance et al., 2017).
Slide 19: Conclusion: To conclude, the food shortage in Haiti has been managed
effectively as evidenced by reduced rates of undernourishment, hunger and stunting. The issue of
food borne disease prevalence must be addressed by existing policy frameworks. For further
improvement, policies must target socioeconomic inequities in the nation and maintain updated
demographic records.
Slide 20 and 21: References
Slide 22: Thank you Slide

References
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