UPDATE: As of November 11, the death toll from Cholera in Haiti has risen to over 720 – this following Hurricane Tomas last week and the disease reaching the camps in Port-au-Prince.
Cholera is a disease of literary backdrops and far off lands. Yet, as I’m sure and hope you already know, it is currently thriving nearly next door. Haiti is currently experiencing a cholera outbreak and as of last night, over 250 people have already died with over 3,000 cases reported…new cases are now being reported in the capital of Port-au-Prince. On a hopeful note this morning, officials are saying the worst may be over.
Unfortunately, this event – the outbreak of a disease spread by contaminated water and food – is not surprising considering the environment Haiti exists in today. The physical setting and infrastructure, both struggling to recover from the devastating earthquake in January, have made Haiti the perfect setting for an event such as this. Thousands of people are living communally with poor sanitation and water supplies and the health system is not equipped to handle the day-to-day challenges Haitians were already facing. This lack of surprise, however, does not make the outbreak any less concerning. For now, organizations such as Partners in Health, with deep roots in the country, are on the front line of triage and the PAHO is monitoring the disease spread.
A good friend and colleague is currently working in Haiti with International Medical Corps to strength some of the country’s orphanages. Her experience the last few days highlights how important non-medical personnel are in circumstances such as these. For example, her role is to make sure orphanages are taking appropriate precautions: “…what I’ve done is make sure all the orphanage care takers with whom we work were called to be reminded about proper hand washing techniques as well as the importance of boiling water, and if there are any cases of diarrhea, to take the children to the hospital IMMEDIATELY.” Outbreaks such as these affect all sectors of society, including aid workers, and the spread and root causes must be approached from all angles – not just medically.
Cholera is becoming part of Haiti’s historical context and will shape their cultural and health environment going forward. For now, those of us next door can do what we can to remind each other about washing hands and support the people of Haiti and those on the ground doing what they can to squelch this historic outbreak.
Punyu 