Vulnerable Population Essay Example

majority of Haitians communicate using Creole and French languages, and a considerable percentage have relocated to the United States.

Haiti is infamous for being the world's most impoverished country due to factors such as poverty, political instability, and other issues. It has an estimated per capita income of around $530, which equates to less than 2 U.S. dollars.

With a population of 9,000,000 in 2007, poverty was the primary social concern in Haiti. Consequently, many immigrants migrated to South Florida in search of improved living conditions. The objective of this paper is to examine these circumstances and obtain a more thorough understanding of why Haitians move to the United States.

Haiti is confronted with various urgent challenges, including a high unemployment rate that affects approximately 70% of the population. Furthermore, the island must address issues related to malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, insufficient sanitation and contaminated water due to its literacy rate of only 47% and life expectancy of around 54 years. Apart from these problems, Haiti also has the highest infant and maternal mortality rates worldwide.

Insufficient nourishment, absence of resources, and low income make malnutrition a pressing issue for underprivileged individuals in Haiti. Shockingly, just 25% of children receive complete vaccinations. Due to unsanitary conditions and polluted water sources, tuberculosis and typhoid fever are widespread diseases among the Haitian population with anywhere from 20% to 50% affected by these ailments.

Undocumented immigrants living in the southern region of Florida commonly utilize self-made watercrafts to journey to America, endangering themselves and facing possible interception.

According to 2000 census data, the Haitian population in Florida has grown by 117%, with Broward County and Palm Beach experiencing the largest increase. During that same year,

there were 182,224 foreign-born Haitians residing in Florida. HIV Insight (2008) states that more than 190,000 individuals in Haiti were living with HIV/AIDS as of 2005. Moreover, through December 2003, Haitians represented 7% of reported HIV and AIDS cases in Florida. The Palm Beach Post (2008) reveals that among Haitians, heterosexual sex is the primary mode of transmission for a cumulative total of 6,599 AIDS cases and 2,105 HIV cases.

The rate of HIV/AIDS in Miami, Fl. is second highest in the U.S., reaching 49.

Because of the 4% poverty rate in Haiti, numerous Haitians depart from their homeland to seek a superior existence in the United States with the objective of obtaining government aid and healthcare for themselves and their loved ones.

Immigrants come to the U.S. with the aspiration of providing their loved ones with a normal life and access to abundant advantages, such as education, in the "Land of Opportunity."

When people with diverse aspirations arrive in the United States, they also bring along different cultures, beliefs, and ailments. Theories abound regarding how immigrants from other nations introduced various sicknesses to America. For instance, Haitians attribute illnesses to supernatural forces.

Many Haitians prefer herbal and holistic remedies instead of seeking medical attention. This belief, coupled with widespread illiteracy and poverty, results in increased infection and mortality rates. French is spoken by the educated, while Creole is the primary language of communication. The uneducated may indicate agreement with higher socioeconomic or healthcare providers to avoid conflict, even if they don't understand the conversation.

The lack of concern for personal space and physical touch is a common issue among caregivers, family, and friends. These individuals often appreciate gestures

like patting on the back, holding hands, kissing on the cheek or hugging. Written materials are not useful since visual learners prefer verbal communication. Furthermore, interpreters who are not part of the individual's immediate circle may not be trusted. Considering ethical implications is vital when evaluating current strategies to break the cycle of vulnerability in the US.

As immigration rates rise in the United States, it is essential to address a significant public health concern. Education must be prioritized due to the lack of accessible community programs and workshops for Haitian immigrants.

Various government-based healthcare programs, including WIC, Healthy Start, and 4 C's, provide aid alongside vaccinations, healthcare services, and resources from county health departments. Haitian American programs offer education, job opportunities, and healthcare reform, alongside monetary support from generous foundations towards Haitian immigrant populations. However, several issues hinder the participation of Haitian immigrants in receiving these benefits, including illiteracy that prevents them from completing necessary paperwork. Another challenge for Haitian immigrants in the U.S. is;

It is crucial to handle Haitian immigrants appropriately in the United States because of the unfair stigma that they introduced AIDS into the nation and that they are all impoverished, uneducated, and unclean.

Despite facing prejudice and bias, Haitians maintain a positive outlook on both their culture and the United States. Nevertheless, this issue may cause certain individuals to be hesitant or even decline receiving care and services.

The roles of manager, advocate, teacher, caregiver, and researcher suggest proposed interventions in community and public health nursing. Despite the existence of multiple active programs in heavily populated Haitian communities, there is a need for additional educative programs. It is necessary to increase the availability of

programs across all 50 states in the U.S., rather than solely limiting them to states with high Haitian immigrant populations.

The National Haitian American Health Alliance (NHAHA) began its "Healthy Haitians 2010" initiative in 2004, which was modeled after "Healthy People 2010." With headquarters in New York City and a southeast regional caucus in Miami, Fl, NHAHA aims to enhance the health of Haitians by tackling health disparities and critical health areas within the community. By organizing community forums and meetings, the top five leading health indicators for the Haitian community were identified. The first leading indicator is…

1. Mental health 2. Responsible sexual behavior 3. Cancer 4. Diabetes 5.

In 2010, Healthy Haitians utilized a conceptual framework to guide their approach to addressing cardiovascular disease within the community. The framework involved five phases which consisted of: 1. Assessing the community assets and needs to understand the context. 2. Developing objectives, strategies, and action plans collaboratively. 3. Building relationships and recruiting participants to enhance leadership and participation. 4.

Providing programs and workshops in both creole and French is essential for effectively reaching the Haitian population. These initiatives are similar to a nursing care plan and should focus on educating individuals about diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, their transmission, and prevention methods. Furthermore, community-based programs that provide resources and treatment options for prevalent diseases within the Haitian community are necessary.

Within the Haitian community, 80% adhere to Catholicism and 30% practice Protestantism. Engaging with this population during or after church events such as prayer meetings and bible studies provides an opportunity for community nurses to educate a significant portion of the population. For effective education, it is crucial to communicate directly with

individuals and provide them with reliable statistics and research. Due to skepticism towards new information and fear of uncertainty within the Haitian population, distributing brochures and flyers may not be an effective strategy, particularly given the high rates of illiteracy.

The following are examples of services that can be provided for Haitian immigrants:

1. Free community ESOL classes can be provided for Haitian immigrants during after school hours in local schools, offering resources to learn to read, write, and speak English.
2. Creole/English/French interpreters can be provided at physician offices and health departments, aiding in understanding of healthcare.
3. A "healthcare on wheels" option can be provided in the form of a mini bus that offers screenings, flu shots, and resources for a few hours three times a week.

Creating local community forums is a great way to encourage engagement and impart healthcare knowledge. Additionally, establishing a community "carpool" program using willing neighbors' cars to transport those without vehicles to necessary medical appointments would be helpful. Issuing economical or free bus passes can also improve access to clinics, doctors' offices, pharmacies, and educational courses. Advocating for reform of healthcare policies and regulations concerning Haitian Americans is important as well. Lastly, collaborating with local businesses and larger corporations can generate job opportunities that benefit both the Haitian immigrant population and government.

Despite making progress, Haitian immigrants still confront multiple stigmas and ignorance that they persevere through. Despite facing oppression, they persist in encountering challenges in the United States.

Although immigrants encounter a range of difficulties in the United States such as adjusting to unfamiliar languages and altering their cultural and religious outlooks, they have both favorable and unfavorable impacts on the nation. The variety introduced by

immigrants has played a role in shaping America's reputation as a fusion of cultures.

Both the HIV Insight website and the Migration Information Source offer information regarding HIV/AIDS in Haiti. The HIV Insight website provides data collected on June 2, 2008 that can be accessed at http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/global?page=cr02-ha-00.

The website http://www.migrationinformation.org featured information about Haitians residing in the United States, along with a spotlight feature, in 2008. In 2006, The National Haitian American Health Alliance also released a report.

A record 37 immigrants were reported by Stephen Ohlemacher (1996-2008) with a focus on community addressing health disparities, as retrieved on June 2, 2008 from http://www.nhaha.org.

The Washington Post article with the retrieval date of May 31, 2008 can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/12/AR2007091200071, with the initial publication date being September 12, 2007 and a length of 5M.The Palm Beach Post website provided information on HIV/AIDS in South Florida, including the date of access which was June 3, 2008 and the source of the data which was http://www.palmbeachpost. The information was presented within HTML paragraph tags.The URL for the AIDS health content is located within HTML paragraph tags:

com/health/content/health/aids.html

.