An assessment of perceived health needs in a haitian run internally-displaced persons camp in carrefour, port-au-prince, Haiti

Purpose: Assess perceived health needs compared to actual health problems seen in a Haitian internally-displaced persons (IDP) camp one-year post-earthquake. Data Used: Household survey of IDP camp residents, medical records from the camp clinic. Methods: Household surveys (n=144) were administered orally utilizing systematic random sampling of camp residents within eleven camp sections. Residents were queried about current health status, health behaviors, and healthcare access. Patient-medical records (n=1627) were collected from the camp clinic over the same six-day-period of the survey. Results: Mean household size is five people. The majority is female-headed (64.6%) and has >1 child under age 5 (58.3%). Eighteen-percent of households have at least one pregnant woman; eight-percent have >1 person over age 65. Thirty–six percent of households sought healthcare in the last month, with one-third utilizing the camp clinic (33%). Most children received vaccinations (91.3%). Of nineteen household-identified health concerns, the most prevalent are headaches (16.8%) and stomach/acid-reflux (12.8%). Eight households mentioned hypertension and diabetes (3.6% and 0.5%, respectively). Medications most used by households are for fever (13.6%), malaria and infection (both 11.4%). The most prevalent illnesses seen in clinic are obstetrical/gynecological (20.3%), infectious (20%), dermatological (12.9%), chronic diseases (12.3%) and gastrointestinal (12.27%). Recommendations: IDP camp composition can provide vital information about perceived community health needs and actual needs of patients accessing care. While household medication use and illnesses seen appear congruent, differences exist that warrant further study. Understanding health needs and health literacy levels is important to effectively prevent and treat illness.