Child Vaccinations

Thousands of boys and girls living on the island of Hispaniola, where both Haiti and the Dominican Republic are located, suffer from diseases that could easily be prevented. One out of every eight children will not live to see their fifth birthday because a preventable disease will claim their precious, young lives.  Malnourishment and poor living conditions increase the chance of contracting highly contagious diseases, placing many Haitans and Dominicans at a high risk. The conditions that accompany poverty, although not the cause of disease, certainly contribute to their ability to spread. Fortunately, effective treatments and medications, which have eradicated many of these preventable diseases in North America, can also produce the same positive results in Haiti.

The crowded slums of Port-au-Prince and the remote villages of rural Haiti are breeding grounds for disease. The result of poor sanitation, inadequate nutrition, and overcrowding are the main causing factors for this issue. In an effort to control the spread of disease, one of the main initiatives carried out by ICC is childhood inoculation.  Not only does International Child Care have a leading role in the prevention and cure of tuberculosis through the national TB program, ICC also inoculates against other highly contagious childhood diseases including diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, and measles.