Cholera - le rapport de situation

Here is the update because many of you have emailed us:

From Wednesday morning of this week Ian and I were both informed via email from the United Nations WASH Cluster (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene working technical groups) within Haiti of an outbreak of 'acute watery diarrhea' in a nearby community called St. Marc (60 miles northwest of Port Au Prince) in the Artibonite region. In the beginning, there were only about 40 deaths, with a little over 100 people hospitalized at local health clinics, and then the death toll grew to 148 by the end of Friday night. According to the BBC this morning, the death toll has risen to more than 200. Up until Friday morning, many NGOs, as well as the Haitian Gov't were very wary of calling this outbreak 'cholera'. However, on Friday morning it was confirmed that this outbreak was, in fact, Cholera - and it was confirmed by the MSPP (Ministry of Public Health and Population). There are over 1,500 reported people who have been hospitalized due to the outbreak. The reported cases are coming from a few communities along a river basin in the Artibonite region. This area sustained no direct damage from the earthquake. However, it serves a reminder that as we respond to the needs of those affected by the earthquake, we mustn't forget about the rest of Haiti. Clean water and sanitation and hygiene is poor over most of Haiti, and perhaps even more so than the areas immediately affected the earthquake.

The impact on our work:

On Thursday morning I, (Monica) called my hygiene staff at the main base, located in Titanyen (about 30 miles from St. Marc - the 'epicenter', so to speak, of the cholera outbreak), and mobilized them to do emergency Cholera prevention training and distribute hand washing soap in our transitional shelter communities in the surrounding area. Many communities had little knowledge of Cholera because there has not been an outbreak in the past century in Haiti - and it is perhaps the only country in the Caribbean to have been affected by Cholera in living memory. I was then flown via helicopter to Titanyen later Friday morning to help in further coordination efforts. I spoke with local officials (police chief) in a neighboring community, produced hygiene training material on cholera in Creole and did sanitation assessments at Samaritan's Purse's Titanyen base. Because there was discussion of an official UN/Haitian Gov't roadblock, which would keep people traveling from the Artibonite region to Port-au-Prince, Ian was asked to represent Samaritan's Purse outside of Port-au-Prince at meetings with Oxfam, Medecins du Monde and others at local health clinics and hospitals in order to discuss how to respond together. Ian also helped coordinate other WASH members regarding their presence at other cholera contingency planning meetings being held in Port-au-Prince. long wiwas at our base going to coordination meetings with other NGOs about Needless to say, we have been a bit busy.

Our main base is one the few international development and relief bases close to this region, as must NGOs are located in Port Au Prince proper, thus our response was rather critical and necessary. Friday morning Samaritan's Purse dispatched a medical team, as well as members of the water and sanitation team - composing something called the 'limited incident management team' to respond to the crisis. Today (Saturday) we are distributing 'PUR' tablets (water chlorination) and ORS distributions (oral rehydration salts) and providing medical assistance to the St. Marc community and medical facilities. The early stage of response is essential in preventing further deaths and the spreading of Cholera. Cholera can kill a grown adult in just a few hour's time if they are not treated immediately. We will keep you updated as we find out more information. Please continue your prayers and support of the Haitian people, hospitals, medical staff and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs, because this is the harsh reality of Haiti... human suffering that could of been prevented with improved sanitation and hygiene. Thank you for all of your concern and emails you have sent us.

Map of Cholera Affected Region


Further info on Cholera (Click Link Here)