For example, in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and on the Haitian border in the Dominican Republic, just 700 miles from the U.S., the average income is under $700 per person per year (United Nations data).  The average life span is 61 years (compared to 78 in the U.S.).  Infant mortality is 82 per 1,000 births (compared to 0.8 in the U.S.).  Unemployment is close to 80%.  Most families survive on subsistence farming and live in 400 square foot shacks with mud floors and thatched roofs.

Comparable conditions exist in all 36 countries where we partner with other medical organizations, as well as the sections of the U.S. where we serve.