Haiti - Cholera: 20 Communes On Red Alert

Haiti - Cholera : 20 communes on Red Alert
(Haiti Libre) - 28/03/2015 10:14:01

Statistics released by the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) indicate an increase in the number of cases of cholera seen in the beginning of this year. Indeed, during the first 9 epidemiological weeks (From January 1 to February 28, 2015), 7.833 suspected cases (4,149 in January 2015 and 3,684 in February 2015 compared to 1629 in January 2014 and 1259 in February 2014) and 72 deaths were recorded .

Moreover MSPP indicates that a twenty communes are already on red alert where over 440 cases seen have already been recorded for the 10th epidemiological week (from 3 to 9 March 2015). The situation is much more critical in the communes of Port-au-Prince (65 cases), St Marc (60 cases), Cabaret (47 cases) and Tabarre (40 cases).

The Ministry of Health warns that with this rise of new cases, the support structures hospitalize nearly three times more cases than in 2004 (600 in 2015 against less than 200 in 2014).

This situation raises concerns on the side of the international community, which fears a significant resurgence of the disease during the next rainy season, which begins in May in a context of under-funding and reduced humanitarian activities on the ground.

In terms of responses, the agencies of the UN system through the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO), UNICEF etc... and its partners have intensified the prevention and response activities to curb the epidemic. Awareness activities, decontamination of houses, distribution of chlorinated products and oral serum were held in affected communities.

However, control strategy against the epidemic in Haiti gives positive results. National and international collaborative efforts have resulted in a significant reduction in the number of people affected by cholera in the last three years. Each year, the number of cholera cases has been reduced by more than half and the fatality rate is below 1% the target rate set by the national plan for the elimination of cholera to 2015. As Haiti enters the rainy season, the prevention and rapid response efforts to alerts should be intensified.

Note that since 2010, more than 730,000 Haitians have been affected by cholera that caused more than 8,700 victims. During the same period, the Dominican Republic has reported more than 32,000 cases of cholera and 480 victims in total.