AFRICA/HAITI - Cholera continues to make victims among Haitians: in a year 6,500 infected people have died

Monday, 24 October 2011

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Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) - A year after the outbreak of the cholera epidemic in Haiti, the population is still threatened by the deadly disease. Since the first cases which occured in October 2010, more than 450 thousand Haitians have become sick and more than 6,500 died, according to the Haitian Ministry of Health. The rainy season facilitates the spread of the disease. According to the humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), health services and measures to prevent its spread are still inadequate. "Cholera patients still die of dehydration in remote areas of the country simply because there are no points for oral rehydration, treatment centers or due to the lack of adequately trained medical staff and assistants to the community", is what is read in a note by Romain Gitenet, head of mission MSF in Haiti, of which a copy was sent to Fides. There is an urgent need for improved medical care, provide access to clean water and ensure proper hygiene. Drinking water and sanitation are essential to stop the spread of the disease.
Despite the international community has committed an enormous amount of money to assist Haiti, thousands of people continue to get sick and some are still dying every week. Unfortunately, while many international organizations are abandoning the fight against cholera, it is estimated that the disease will be present in Haiti for several years. Cholera can kill quickly, but it is easy to treat through treatment and adequate health services, and easy to prevent, with access to clean water, regular washing of hands and proper storage of food. Unfortunately the majority of Haitians live in rural areas and in slums without access to safe water or proper sanitation. Since the onset of the cholera outbreak in October 2010, MSF has treated more than 160 000 patients infected by this disease. At the end of August MSF cured 281 in Port-au-Prince; at the end of September the cases rose to 840 per week. Currently the organization is engaged in the neighborhoods of Martissant, Carrefour, Delmas, Cite Soleil and Drouillard in the capital, as well as departments in the west, north and Artibonite. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 24/10/2011)