Demographic information for health planner, Haiti

A basic set of national population parameters -- size, density, age and sex composition, and rates of births, deaths, migration, growth, and urbanization -- serve to define the demographic context, and to provide the basis for projections of future health needs, demands, and manpower resources. Regional information, by identifying major spatial differentials in these parameters, suggest priorities and location strategies for the Health Sector. Finally, population information at the local level is essential for catchment area definition, for the identification of local needs, for the estimation of utilization rates, and for evaluation of population coverage. In connection with the major planning effort, now underway, of the Haitian Department of Public Health and Population, and at the request of the Ministry of Health, a brief review was undertaken (12/6/72) of the population data resources available for health planning at each geographic level. The objectives were three: (1) to evaluate the demographic data base; (2) to estimate values for the set of demographic parameters basic to health planning; and (3) to make recommendations for the strengthening of programs of population data collection and analysis for the Health Sector.