Most people do the best they can when a family member is sick. When there is no alternative, they may seek outside help for the illness. The options are public or private hospitals, a clinic, or the local natural medicine practitioner ("medcin fey" are sometimes confused with a "Bokor" who uses natural medicines also). In some areas there are persons who heal by touch. They generally deal with broken bones and hidden illnesses (hidden to the eye). There are more "Bokors" and "Medicin Fey" than any other type of medical personnel. There are doctors educated in "western medicine" who practice what is called "simple"medicine, which is what Americans would be accustomed to. A doctor who practices “complete medicine” practices voodoo, too, and it would cost more that the “simple medicine”.

Most women prefer to use midwives for child delivery. Some women handle child delivery themselves. Hospitals are used for emergencies only. It is becoming more common to use hospitals when delivering the first child. These midwives may be simple or use a mixture of voodoo in caring for the mother and child.

If a child is born in a hospital, the nurse will give the first vaccines and cards will be made for follow-up visits to get the first series of vaccinations. Most babies of the rural people are born at home by either a midwife with varied degrees of training or a family member who has experience. In either case, immunizations and records are generally not kept. There are extension centers in the rural areas where limited immunizations and healthcare can be obtained, but many times it is still a great distance from where individuals live and they may not seek the help. The first time that the immunization record may be checked is for entrance into a university in Port-au-Prince. Foreign groups sometimes come in with immunizations. The individual goes to get the “immunization”, thinking that protects them from whatever it is they need protection from, although the individual has no idea whether he has had that shot before or what shot it was that he received. Some individuals are afraid of immunizations and feel they are relatively healthy, therefore they do not see the need for them.

Death is an expected part of life in Haiti. People of all ages die of common or unknown reasons. Many preventable deaths occur because medical help is not sought until the illness is out of control or beyond help. Condition of the available water, lack of mosquito control, diet, lack of hygiene and waste disposal, lack of information, and lack of application of what has been taught in relation to healthcare contribute to the low level of health. In addition to normal illnesses, Malaria, Typhoid, Tuberculosis, Dengue Fever, AIDS, severe anemia and malnutrition, and Cholera are common.

In the markets there are small one-dose packets of almost expired medications such as vitamins, antibiotics, and pain medicines that can be bought. Dosages and information about what the specific medicine treats are lacking, so many times a person will take “something”, hoping it will help them feel better. The seller can be heard exclaiming the wonders of the tablets and pills he has to sell.

Home remedies are often used. Many times headaches are thought to be because an individual is too hot. They may wash their head with lye soap, then make a compress of “raket” leaves or wild oranges and use a red handkerchief to tie it around the head. Sometimes a cord is tied on a part of the body for a border for the pain. This is thought to be magical, and some sort of prayer with special words is said while applying the cord, so that the pain will not cross the cord. People believe they can “feel” their blood pressure and determine their own treatment according to how they are feeling for the day. A tea of lila leaves may be used for fevers. Abdominal pain from overeating is treated with cachima leaf tea. A tea of bazilic is used for cough or fever. Saridon with alcohol, salt, pepper, and lemon is used for fever or tooth pain. Severe toothache is treated usually by pulling the tooth. Diarrhea may be treated by one of the following: oral rehydration solution (can be very expensive or sometimes obtained free), Ampicillin or Tetracycline mixed with lemon, or soup with vegetables. For a cut, one would apply either lemon juice directly into the cut or open an Antibiotic capsule of Ampicillin or Tetracycline and pour the powder into the cut. For boils and bumps on the skin, liquid Penicillin for injection is poured on the area. For weakness, one would drink Malta and milk. If one were thought to lack vitamins, he would drink a mixture of orange juice with milk. Most people believe that one must fight acids with acids, so in the case of an acid stomach, one might drink lemonade or use the white of a sour orange mixed in water and drink it.

Here are some things that can lead to death in the communities other than diseases.

Gagè (Cock Fighting Ring) This is one thing that can lead to death, because a discussion can explode between two cock fighters with them pulling knives on each other, using sticks, throwing rocks, or throwing deadly (magical) powder on each other.

Bal (Dance) This can lead to death, because in the dance someone can send magic powder on someone else or a fight can break out. Drinking is usually involved at the dances.

Tafya (Kleren) This can cause death when one becomes drunk, falls in the road, and a vehicle runs over him. Sometimes bad people know how to profit from it and put something in the drink that would cause death.

Manifestasyon (Demonstration) This can cause death because two opposing groups meet during a demonstration. Sometimes tires are burned in protest and it is wise to turn around and go the opposite direction when you see a group of people barricading the road. Fanm (Women) Men have been known to kill other men for a woman, and women also are known to kill other women for a man.

Jalouzi (Jealousy) One person has something someone else doesn’t have, temptation takes him, and he kills the first person.

Tè (Land) This can cause death because of a dispute over property lines or after a death in terms of heritage of land. They fight pulling machetes, throwing rocks, hitting with sticks, and throwing poisonous powder. Also magical potions are left on doorsteps to cause death and pain.

Volè (Stealing) This leads to death because there is poison placed in fruits or vegetables to prevent thieves in the garden, and sometimes because of the magical potion in the garden the owner will take back the rest of the produce and kill the thieves by using evil spirits.

Vi Seksyèl (Sex Life) This can lead to death because people get sick from sexually transmitted diseases. AIDS is active in Haiti. Unwanted pregnancies can lead to abortions that are poorly done and lead to death, also.

Voodoo When one person has a grudge against another, he may pay a witch doctor to intercede to the evil spirits by giving money, food, or a sacrifice to the evil spirits to have something bad happen to his adversary. God is higher in the heavens than the spirits - the spirits are in the air. If the person is a Christian, God may protect him, but the non-Christian may die, become blind, paralyzed, have an accident controlled by the spirits, or contact a disease, etc. If the second person goes to a witch doctor to have the spells removed, he pays to have the spells reversed. Voodoo is a lucrative business and a magical business.

Priyè For someone who dies the spirit can be revoked by another person or death can be postponed, also, through voodoo Moun ki renmen ranmanse ate (someone who likes to pick up things that others have left behind) in the street, in the road, in the intersection. Money, chickens, nice clothes or food, etc. are left in the road to appease the evil spirits, but when someone picks up the item it makes that person get sick. Boukante This is trading one person’s life for another’s. Lang It can lead to death if you talk about something that you don’t know…to gossip about someone. Divisyon This can lead to death because where you have conflict, you have death, too. Sigarèt This can lead to death because there are people who prepare cigarettes for others, putting poison in them.

Chich (Cheap or Stingy) This can cause death, also, because there are people who are known to ask a person for something to eat, but the stingy person won’t give it, and after a while the other person kills him because he didn’t share what he had.

Kolè (Anger) This can lead to death, for example, when a person commits suicide. It is a known cause for a person to kill another person, too, with a stick, a knife, a gun, iron, or choke with jealousy.

Kanaval (Carnival) This leads to death by throwing poison powder, throwing bottles, throwing sticks, throwing knives, and guns. There is a lot of alcohol involved with dancing in the streets. A huge crowd gathers, there is crowding, and tempers flare.

Dlo Desann (Flood) After the rain, when you are crossing the water, it can kill you because you can get washed away.