PAHO Situation Report #14 - Cholera Outbreak in Haiti | OCHA Map of Haiti cholera outbreak | Haiti: Public health information | UNICEF Expands Response To Cholera Outbreak In Haiti | Honduras Takes Measures to Prevent Cholera
Campbell, Dan
PAHO Situation Report #14 – Cholera Outbreak in Haiti
Source: Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), 17 Nov 2010
Full_Report: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/MMAH-8BB7WU/$File/full_report.pdf (pdf* format – 377.6 Kbytes)
Summary
On November 17, the MSPP (Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population) reported that between October 19 and November 15 the cumulative number of hospital admissions and deaths due to cholera was 18,382 and 1,110, respectively. Seven of ten departments are now affected (Artibonite, Central, Ouest, Nord Ouest, Sud, Nord, and Nord Est).
In Port-au-Prince, the numbers of cumulative hospital admissions and deaths were 953 and 46, respectively, for the same period. In the metropolitan area, cases of cholera have been confirmed in six of seven communes.
Civil unrest since November 15 has slowed several activities of the response to the outbreak. In the northern city of Cap Haitian prevention and treatment supplies are were not delivered in last three days. WHO/PAHO cholera training was postponed, as well as an Oxfam initiative to chlorinate water for 300,000 people. A nearby World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse was looted and burned. In Hinche, six MINUSTAH personnel and a number of bystanders were injured, according to the MINUSTAH.
On November 16, as part of an intense surveillance effort, one case of cholera was confirmed by laboratory test in the Dominican Republic, in an individual returning from Haiti. The patient is evolving satisfactorily
OCHA Map of Haiti cholera outbreak
Haiti: Public health information remains crucial in battle against cholera
Source:
International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC)
Date:
17 Nov 2010
• More than 75,000 people called a toll free Red Cross information line to access information on cholera, and on how to avoid becoming sick.
• Red Cross is also using radio, sound trucks and trained volunteers to empower people against cholera.
• Value of information should not be underestimated in response to cholera crisis says Red Cross. As the cholera crisis continues to worsen, the Red Cross is re-emphasizing the crucial role of simple and accessible public health information.
UNICEF Expands Response To Cholera Outbreak In Haiti
Nov 18, 2010 – UNICEF Expands Response To Cholera Outbreak In Haiti With Supply Distributions To Communities And Health Centres
UNICEF is mobilizing all its staff and resources in an effort to stem the spread of cholera in Haiti, and warned today that with 50 per cent of the population under 18 years, large numbers of children are affected.
“We are working closely with communities and our partners to contain the latest outbreaks of cholera. Our biggest fear is that it will spread through the rural and remote areas, Port au Prince slums and camps, as well as schools and residential care centers across the country where it will be difficult to fight the disease,” said Francoise Gruloos-Ackermans, UNICEF Representative in Haiti.
From the beginning, UNICEF has been aware of the needs of rural communities and deployed emergency teams in these areas. UNICEF’s concern is to reach children living in remote areas and in the overpopulated slums of Port au Prince.
“We are reinforcing our operation with staff and resources, mobilizing our partners and readjusting our pre-positioning stocks to scale with the emergency and make sure we cover as much of the country as possible”, said Gruloos-Ackermans.
To date, 14,642 cases have been reported with 917 deaths, a fatality rate of 3.8 per cent. Seven out of Haiti’s ten departments have now been affected.
Honduras Takes Measures to Prevent Cholera
Nov 18, 2010 – TEGUCIGALPA – Health authorities announced today that they will take measures to prevent spread to Honduras of a cholera epidemic, which caused more than 1, 100 deaths in Haiti.
Health Minister Arturo Benda told reporters that although it is very unlikely to happen, the authorities remain alert to the possibility of any outbreak of cholera in Honduras.
According to Bendaña, authorities have taken all precautions, especially at airports, to prevent the entry of infected people.
Travelers from Haiti will be kept under strict surveillance, if they develop any symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain or dehydration, Bendaña said.
Since mid-October, cholera has infected over 18, 300 people in Haiti.
The epidemic has crossed borders and reached the Dominican Republic and the U.S. state of Florida.
http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/november/18/centralamerica10111802.htm
Dan Campbell, Web
Manager
Environmental Health at USAID
1611 North Kent St., Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22209
Ph:
703-247-8722
Email: dcam...@usaid.gov
Environmental Health at USAID: http://www.ehproject.org
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/envhealth_usaid
Indoor Air Pollution Updates: http://iapnews.wordpress.com
Sanitation Updates: http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com
Urban Health Updates: http://urbanhealthupdates.wordpress.com
Cholera Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/cholera-control
Household Water Treatment Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/household-water-treatment