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Debunking the latest anti-Haitian false claim | Letter to the Editor

today2024-09-23

Debunking the latest anti-Haitian false claim | Letter to the Editor
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By Dr. Christina Pardo | Guest Author 

NEW YORK—Haitians are again facing discriminatory and derogatory remarks, most recently by the Republican Nominees for President and Vice President of the United States. The latest is JD Vance elevating without proof a rumor that Haitian immigrants are bringing infectious diseases, specifically HIV and TB. It is not the first, and unfortunately likely not the last time, that health conditions are used to demonize and disenfranchise Haitian immigrants. 

Contrary to the false stories emerging, the prevalence of HIV in Haiti has decreased to an estimated 1.7% compared to a rate of 11.3/100,000 in the United States, according to HIV.org, a program of the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund. About 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV, compared to 140,000 in Haiti. This difference supports the reality that what we see before us now is the result of centuries of racism, exploitation and neo-colonialism. 

That is why us healthcare professionals must ensure the most basic of rights to this community are protected. So far, I have been encouraged and motivated by healthcare professionals from across the country that have reached out for help providing culturally sensitive care to the newly arriving Haitians in their communities. Government agencies that NOW realize the gap in knowledge and resources for Haitian immigrants have also reached out. They too are mobilizing to provide training and resources to communities across the country. 

Building on my work as a physician dedicated to Haitian, immigrant and diverse populations, I am proud to have organized a group of dedicated Haitian and Haitian American healthcare professionals into a collective. Together, we will produce and disseminate culturally responsive information for Haitians in the coming weeks that we will share via www.communityfirstequity.com

In the meantime, I’m sharing a few  publicly available information to help combat the fake news before it spreads again:


Christina Pardo, MD MPH, is an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine and founder of Community First Equity. Tanesha Mondestin, MSPH, contributed to this letter.

The post Debunking the latest anti-Haitian false claim | Letter to the Editor appeared first on The Haitian Times.


Debunking the latest anti-Haitian false claim | Letter to the Editor was first posted on September 23, 2024 at 1:06 pm.

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