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KIRIBATI:
Their lives in Kiribati are one
of the hardest in the world because their beautiful lagoons are
being polluted by human waste (they use the lagoons for bathing and
as toilets), the toilets that may exist, flush into their drinking
water. These islands
are no more than 4-feet above sea level, the rainwater filters
through the coral sand (there is no soil on the islands, they are
coral atolls) over their buried dead, then into their water supply,
polluting their water even further. They have no safe potable water,
no soil for growing any vegetables or fresh fruit (only bananas,
coconut, breadfruit, and some papaya grow there). They do not use
chairs so they do most of their eating at floor level nor are they
aware of the need to wash their hands before preparing their
meals. All of these
problems combined has caused the hepatitis rate to soar over
60%. The vast
majorities have nothing to do except fish for their existence. There are only 8 doctors and no dentists for these 90,000 people and all 8 doctors reside and practice at the countries only hospital on Tarawa (that's almost 10,000 patients per doctor per year). This leaves no doctors for the other 50,000 people living on the outer islands. |
| COUNTRY
STATISTICS: Official Name: Republic of Kiribati. Population: 90,000 (Approximately) Climate: Temperatures vary from 77 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Rainfall averages between 40-120 inches a year, with droughts from time to time. Major Health Problems: Amebiasis, Bacillary, Dysentery, Giardiasis, Diabetes, Hepatitis A & B. |
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| ISLAND HISTORY: 1892 - Gilbert and Ellice Islands British Protectorate. 1917 - Became British Colony. 1941 - Occupied by Japanese 1943 - Liberated by Americans 1979 - Gained Independence, Changed name to Republic of Kiribati. 1999 - Became a Member of the United Nations. |