The cervical cancer crisis in Haiti has been ongoing for many years, with approximately 1,500 women dying every year from the disease. This includes many who suffer in silence or without knowledge of their condition. Cervical cancer is also the leading cause of cancer death among women and young girls in Haiti.
Historical racism, systematic disenfranchisement, and corruption, along with Haiti’s lack of medical infrastructure, have played a major role in the high mortality rate of cervical cancer in the country. Limited access to screening and preventative care are significant contributing factors. Research reveals that there are only four pathologists and one MRI scanner for a population of 10 million people, and the majority of women and girls have never been screened for cervical cancer. Furthermore, cancer screenings and early detection programs are scarce.
Capracare , as part of its prevention and community health initiative, is making a call to action to the public for donations and to support their mission to end cervical cancer in Haiti. The organization offers “See & Treat” screenings to detect cervical cancer in its precancerous state when it is still treatable. Jean Pierre-Louis, the founder of Capracare, emphasizes that most women in the southern region of Haiti have never heard of or been screened for cervical cancer.
Pierre-Louis, a Haitian-born individual, established Capracare in 2009 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The organization focuses on improving healthcare access and promoting sustainable development in Haiti in response to the lack of medical and preventive healthcare services available to communities.
The founder has dedicated his life to advocating for access to healthcare in Haiti, particularly in the southern part of Haiti – Les Cayes. Through strategic corporate partnerships and relationships, Capracare provides services to more than 20,000 men, women, and children, with a specific focus on ending cervical cancer by raising funds for equipment and training healthcare professionals.
Recently, Capracare has launched several campaigns dedicated to raising funds for cervical cancer screening in Haiti. These campaigns aim to screen multiple women for cervical cancer. Capracare’s recent Giving Tuesday campaign raised a little over $5,000.00 on Nov. 28, 2023, which immediately went towards screening 200 women in real time. The organization’s end-of-year giving season campaign ends on Dec. 31, 2023, and the cervical cancer campaign ends on Jan. 31, 2024. All three campaigns are focused on raising funds for cervical cancer through their website www.capracare.org
To support Capracare’s larger goal of screening 25,000 women for cervical cancer, training 500 individuals to become emergency first responders, and providing 10,000 people with support to combat PTSD, readers can donate or get involved with their initiatives at www.capracare.org. Contributions can help make a substantial impact on the lives of 50,000 people in Haiti this holiday season and help end cervical cancer in Haiti.
