- Thread starter frank recktenwald
- Start date
Cholera
yes.. this was issued by the Haitian Ministry of Health, sent out by the US Embassy. I posted in case there were people who had access to different NGOs working in Haiti, as we have quite a few DR1 members who travel there.
Thought it might be useful...
also for those who had never seen written Kreyole...
for those who speak French, you can sound out the words and understand quite a bit ...
[http://www.logcluster.org/ops/hti10a]
Below is today's update with official Haiti govt statistics about the
epidemic: Highlights:
* 3342 hospitalized, 259 dead
*all hospitals in Central Artibonite and Central Plateau full
* five cases confirmed in Port-au-Prince -- the latter originally
infected in Artibonite.
* Border to Domincan Republic closed, except for partial opening at
Jimani/Malpasse with inspection.
Details of diff deliveries of medicine, supplies by UN Cluster members
and frontline NGO agencies follows.-- ac
UN Logistics Cluster
Cholera Outbreak in Haiti
Monday, 25 October 2010, 17:00h (Haiti time)
Situation Update No 04
Background
On 22 October, Government Officials confirmed a Cholera outbreak in the
D?partement Artibonite. The Ministry of Health reported initially that
the worst-affected Communes were Grand Saline, Desdunes,l?Estere,
Dessalines, Petite Riviere, la Chappelle, Marchand, St Michel and St
Marc, approx. 100km (60
miles) north of Port-au-Prince. Shortly afterwards, cases of Cholera
were also confirmed in Central Plateau.
According to the Ministry of Health and WHO, 3,342 people have been
hospitalised to date and at least 259
people died.
Local hospitals in Central Artibonite and Central Plateau regions are
full, and patients are beingrelocated to hospitals in other areas. In
the evening of 23 October, the Ministry of Health and WHO confirmed
five cases of Cholera in Port-au-Prince, but the patients have been
quickly diagnosed and isolated. The five diseased were infected in
Artibonite and subsequently travelled to the capital. Another 20
cases in the capital are under investigation.
Artibonite River is likely to be the source of the outbreak, after
recent heavy rains caused its banks to overflow and flooded the area.
On 23 October, the Government of Haiti requested the Humanitarian
Community to respond to theoutbreak.
The response is being coordinated by the Ministry of Health, the
Direction Nationale de l'EauPotable et Assainissement (DINEPA), the
Health Cluster and the Wash Cluster. Provision of clean water and
sanitation has been identified as priority areas of intervention.
Information campaigns about preventive measures against Cholera have
been initiated by the Governmentof Haiti, the Health and the Wash
Cluster, and all mobile phone providers in country. Almost all
Haitian-Dominican border crossing points have been closed by Dominican
Authorities on 25 October. Only Jimani/Malpasse is partially open and
people can cross after thorough inspection.
Logistics Cluster Activities
? The Logistics Cluster is part of the Crisis Coordination Cell at the
Ministry of Health, and the Inter-
Agency Information Management & Public Information Cell at OCHA in
Port-au-Prince.
? A Logistics Cluster Officer, specialised in infrastructure, deployed
to St Marc together with a UNICEF
Logistics Officer, in order to support WHO in conducting assessments of
Health facilities.
? Through the Logistics Cluster, MINUSTAH-JOTC is preparing the ground
for two Cholera Treatment
Centres in St Marc and in l?Estere. Altogether 12 Cholera Treatment
Centres will be established countrywide.
? Transport and storage services have been provided so far as follows:
25 October:
o WHO was supplied with one Mobile Storage Unit from Logistics Cluster
stocks in Port-au-Prince, for
the storage of medical equipment in St Marc.
o M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF)-Spain: was supplied with 10 additional
tents, 100 foldable beds, 10
plastic sheeting rolls and 2 generators from Logistics Cluster stocks
in Port-au-Prince, which have
been transported to St Marc.
o Upon request from DINEPA, UNHAS airlifted 800 kg of chlorine to 11
locations along the Artibonite
River. In addition, 11 kits to test potability of water were flown on
behalf of UNICEF to the same 11
locations.
24 October:
o M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF)-Spain: was supplied with a Mobile
Storage Unit from Logistics
Cluster stocks, which is currently being established as Cholera
Treatment Centre in St Marc.
23 October:
o French Red Cross: 6,000 hygiene kits and 6 tents were transported
from Port-au-Prince to St Marc;
o International Relief and Development (IRD): 40 boxes of rehydration
salt were transported from
Port-au-Prince to St Marc;
o M?decins du Monde (MdM)-France: 5,000 pocket Ringer?s lactate were
transported from Jeremie
to Port-au-Prince;
o The UNHAS helicopter flew an assessment team of seven IOM staff
members to Gonaives.
End.
Sources:
Briefings by the Humanitarian Coordinator and the Minister of Health in
PaP,
Crisis Coordination Cell in PaP,
and Inter-Agency IM & PI cell in PaP.
Below is today's update with official Haiti govt statistics about the
epidemic: Highlights:
* 3342 hospitalized, 259 dead
*all hospitals in Central Artibonite and Central Plateau full
* five cases confirmed in Port-au-Prince -- the latter originally
infected in Artibonite.
* Border to Domincan Republic closed, except for partial opening at
Jimani/Malpasse with inspection.
Details of diff deliveries of medicine, supplies by UN Cluster members
and frontline NGO agencies follows.-- ac
UN Logistics Cluster
Cholera Outbreak in Haiti
Monday, 25 October 2010, 17:00h (Haiti time)
Situation Update No 04
Background
On 22 October, Government Officials confirmed a Cholera outbreak in the
D?partement Artibonite. The Ministry of Health reported initially that
the worst-affected Communes were Grand Saline, Desdunes,l?Estere,
Dessalines, Petite Riviere, la Chappelle, Marchand, St Michel and St
Marc, approx. 100km (60
miles) north of Port-au-Prince. Shortly afterwards, cases of Cholera
were also confirmed in Central Plateau.
According to the Ministry of Health and WHO, 3,342 people have been
hospitalised to date and at least 259
people died.
Local hospitals in Central Artibonite and Central Plateau regions are
full, and patients are beingrelocated to hospitals in other areas. In
the evening of 23 October, the Ministry of Health and WHO confirmed
five cases of Cholera in Port-au-Prince, but the patients have been
quickly diagnosed and isolated. The five diseased were infected in
Artibonite and subsequently travelled to the capital. Another 20
cases in the capital are under investigation.
Artibonite River is likely to be the source of the outbreak, after
recent heavy rains caused its banks to overflow and flooded the area.
On 23 October, the Government of Haiti requested the Humanitarian
Community to respond to theoutbreak.
The response is being coordinated by the Ministry of Health, the
Direction Nationale de l'EauPotable et Assainissement (DINEPA), the
Health Cluster and the Wash Cluster. Provision of clean water and
sanitation has been identified as priority areas of intervention.
Information campaigns about preventive measures against Cholera have
been initiated by the Governmentof Haiti, the Health and the Wash
Cluster, and all mobile phone providers in country. Almost all
Haitian-Dominican border crossing points have been closed by Dominican
Authorities on 25 October. Only Jimani/Malpasse is partially open and
people can cross after thorough inspection.
Logistics Cluster Activities
? The Logistics Cluster is part of the Crisis Coordination Cell at the
Ministry of Health, and the Inter-
Agency Information Management & Public Information Cell at OCHA in
Port-au-Prince.
? A Logistics Cluster Officer, specialised in infrastructure, deployed
to St Marc together with a UNICEF
Logistics Officer, in order to support WHO in conducting assessments of
Health facilities.
? Through the Logistics Cluster, MINUSTAH-JOTC is preparing the ground
for two Cholera Treatment
Centres in St Marc and in l?Estere. Altogether 12 Cholera Treatment
Centres will be established countrywide.
? Transport and storage services have been provided so far as follows:
25 October:
o WHO was supplied with one Mobile Storage Unit from Logistics Cluster
stocks in Port-au-Prince, for
the storage of medical equipment in St Marc.
o M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF)-Spain: was supplied with 10 additional
tents, 100 foldable beds, 10
plastic sheeting rolls and 2 generators from Logistics Cluster stocks
in Port-au-Prince, which have
been transported to St Marc.
o Upon request from DINEPA, UNHAS airlifted 800 kg of chlorine to 11
locations along the Artibonite
River. In addition, 11 kits to test potability of water were flown on
behalf of UNICEF to the same 11
locations.
24 October:
o M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF)-Spain: was supplied with a Mobile
Storage Unit from Logistics
Cluster stocks, which is currently being established as Cholera
Treatment Centre in St Marc.
23 October:
o French Red Cross: 6,000 hygiene kits and 6 tents were transported
from Port-au-Prince to St Marc;
o International Relief and Development (IRD): 40 boxes of rehydration
salt were transported from
Port-au-Prince to St Marc;
o M?decins du Monde (MdM)-France: 5,000 pocket Ringer?s lactate were
transported from Jeremie
to Port-au-Prince;
o The UNHAS helicopter flew an assessment team of seven IOM staff
members to Gonaives.
End.
Sources:
Briefings by the Humanitarian Coordinator and the Minister of Health in
PaP,
Crisis Coordination Cell in PaP,
and Inter-Agency IM & PI cell in PaP.
Hmmmm...
Port au Prince seems to have run out of drinking water.
Sending someone out now to search a bit more throroughly so fingers crossed.
I did a load of panic buying but people keep asking me for water.
What you gonna do? Say no?
Fortunately they still have plenty of Presidente and Barbancourt so not to worry.
Though it is not pleasant washing your teeth with beer - we will overcome.
Port au Prince seems to have run out of drinking water.
Sending someone out now to search a bit more throroughly so fingers crossed.
I did a load of panic buying but people keep asking me for water.
What you gonna do? Say no?
Fortunately they still have plenty of Presidente and Barbancourt so not to worry.
Though it is not pleasant washing your teeth with beer - we will overcome.
What a crock!! All you need to do to take care of cholera cases is to feed the victims lots of Gatorade!! Really. Replace what goes out the back with more from the front. They call these ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts). basically Gatorade.. Or you and mix 7 teaspoons of sugar with 1 tp of salt and a liter of good water (boiled for 10 minutes or bottled), and give to patient, the old 711 formula!!! Works incredibly well.
Cholera is cleaned up with cleanliness, that's all.
Regarding Preval's comments, he should be shot. Fernandez should give him a call.
Wanna bet no reporter asks Leonel about the comment??? Too chicken.
All that happened was rains, a bit of flooding, a bit of feces got into the water and the water was drunk and then you have cholera....simple chain...
POoor overall reaction to the outbreak. DR actions are proper and follow protocols.
NGOs incapable of getting things done, at least, so far.
HB
Cholera is cleaned up with cleanliness, that's all.
Regarding Preval's comments, he should be shot. Fernandez should give him a call.
Wanna bet no reporter asks Leonel about the comment??? Too chicken.
All that happened was rains, a bit of flooding, a bit of feces got into the water and the water was drunk and then you have cholera....simple chain...
POoor overall reaction to the outbreak. DR actions are proper and follow protocols.
NGOs incapable of getting things done, at least, so far.
HB
Yeah, so was I.
Blissss it was too!
I always say things like, "This is the last time I am leaving - I'm never going back there, sod that for a game of monopoly - I am going somewhere to relax, drink Pina Coladas, mess around and get up late.
But then I always go back to work in Haiti.
Bugger!
:devious::bunny:
What the hell are you doing man? You re trying to drive the NGOs out of business with a "solution"? Didnt you know this is the Disaster Industrial Complex we are witnessing?
i don't know if this has been mentioned before or not but me and my hatian friend believe the source of the cholera is from the african UN workers camped along that river where the outbreak started. they bathe in it and use it as a toilet. in the beginning of oct there has been a huge outbreak of cholera in africa with over 40,000 cases and over 2,000 dead. the type of cholera in haiti is type O1 which is the worst type and from the little i read seems to either be only or mostly found in parts of africa.
sooooo. why isnt this being reported as a very probable cause of this mess? maybe for the fear of what problems this will create between hatians and UN workers who are bring diseases over from their homeland. you think they would test these peoplefor things like this.
from what i understand the hatians already don't like the UN being in their country. there seems to be a lot of nasty stories going around. like UN workers and child prostitution...girls and boys. but wow...imagine if you dropped a deuce in a river and ended up killing 350+ people and damn near killing thousands more. how would you feel about that? i also read that up to 75% of people who get this dont even have symptoms. so it could very easily have slipped in there. all the crowding, flooding and bad sanitation etc could spread it very quickly......just sayin
sooooo. why isnt this being reported as a very probable cause of this mess? maybe for the fear of what problems this will create between hatians and UN workers who are bring diseases over from their homeland. you think they would test these peoplefor things like this.
from what i understand the hatians already don't like the UN being in their country. there seems to be a lot of nasty stories going around. like UN workers and child prostitution...girls and boys. but wow...imagine if you dropped a deuce in a river and ended up killing 350+ people and damn near killing thousands more. how would you feel about that? i also read that up to 75% of people who get this dont even have symptoms. so it could very easily have slipped in there. all the crowding, flooding and bad sanitation etc could spread it very quickly......just sayin
that's all you had to say about what i just posted? anybody have anything to say on why this may or may not be true?
anyway i wrote that because i know how people on internet forums ( especially dr1'ers) get all upset if their reading material isn't nice and tidy how they like it. they always complain if someone writes something out like i just did. i was too tired to clean it up. i wasnt being serious. just wanted to let them know they can save their comments about it. sorry if i upset you.
Haiti cholera toll near 300, disease seen settling | Reuters
Haiti cholera toll near 300, disease seen "settling"
Reuters, By Joseph Guyler Delva, Tue, Oct 26 2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Deaths from Haiti's cholera epidemic approached
300 on Tuesday, and health experts said the illness would "settle" in the
poor Caribbean nation, joining other endemic diseases like malaria and
tuberculosis.
The week-old epidemic of the deadly diarrheal disease has so far mostly
affected the central Artibonite and Central Plateau regions, with an
accumulated 295 deaths and 3,612 cases registered to date, Haitian health
authorities said.
Although the number of new deaths and cases has slowed slightly from earlier
days, a United Nations-led international medical response is fighting to
prevent the outbreak from penetrating Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, which
is crowded with 1.3 million homeless survivors of a January 12 earthquake.
The epidemic has jolted the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation with another
crisis 9-1/2 months after the catastrophic quake that killed more than half
a million people.
It also comes a little over a month before the country is due to hold
presidential and legislative elections on November 28. Despite the disease
outbreak, the polls were still set to go ahead as scheduled, Pierre-Louis
Opont, the director general of Haiti's provisional electoral council, told
Reuters.
Announcing updated case figures at a news conference, the Haitian health
ministry's director of epidemiology Roc Magloire said that of five cases
previously reported in the capital, only one had been confirmed by
laboratory tests to be cholera.
Nevertheless, the U.N., the government, and its foreign aid partners are
expecting the disease to spread further in its epidemic phase. They have
launched a combined treatment, containment and prevention strategy for the
whole country.
"The next news for us and for you is when geographically, new pockets of the
epidemic ... emerge, in Port-au-Prince or elsewhere," Dr. Michel Thieren,
the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) top official in Haiti, told
Reuters.
Suspected cases have been reported in Nord and Sud provinces, but are
pending laboratory results.
Thieren said however a slight slowing in the rate of new deaths and cases
was being observed in the main outbreak area of Artibonite, which he called
encouraging and attributable in part to an aggressive multinational medical
response.
With the epidemic reestablishing cholera in Haiti after a long absence, the
disease would now become endemic, joining illnesses like malaria,
tuberculosis and HIV AIDS which have been afflicting impoverished Haitians
for years, Thieren said.
"It's normal that we should expect a settlement of cholera in Haiti
nationwide over the coming months," he added. But it was hard to predict
exactly how the epidemic would spread.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON ALERT
The U.N. has said a nationwide outbreak with tens of thousands of cases is
still "a real possibility".
The international humanitarian operation has rushed doctors, nurses and
medicines to the rural central zone straddling the Artibonite River, the
suspected source of the disease which is transmitted by contaminated water
and food.
Special cholera treatment centers are being set up in the main outbreak
zone, in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere, to isolate patients. A public
education campaign is urging the country's 10 million people to wash their
hands regularly with soap, avoid eating raw vegetables, and boil food and
drinking water.
If left untreated, cholera can kill in hours by dehydrating victims with
severe diarrhea, but if caught early it can easily be treated with an oral
rehydration solution -- or a simple mixture of water, sugar and salt.
Health Minister Alex Larsen announced the government would train 30,000
health workers to join the anti-cholera campaign across the nation in the
coming months.
PAHO, the regional office of the World Health Organization, has said there
is a "high risk" of the cholera spreading across the border of the island of
Hispaniola to Dominican Republic.
The border has not been formally closed but on Monday Dominican Republic
authorities canceled the regular farm market normally held in the northern
frontier town of Dajabon, and prevented hundreds of Haitians from crossing
to attend it.
PAHO has also alerted other states in the Caribbean about the epidemic, the
first of cholera in the Americas since a 1991 outbreak in Peru, and was
seeking resources to fight it from members like Brazil, Cuba, the United
States and Canada.
Haiti cholera toll near 300, disease seen "settling"
Reuters, By Joseph Guyler Delva, Tue, Oct 26 2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Deaths from Haiti's cholera epidemic approached
300 on Tuesday, and health experts said the illness would "settle" in the
poor Caribbean nation, joining other endemic diseases like malaria and
tuberculosis.
The week-old epidemic of the deadly diarrheal disease has so far mostly
affected the central Artibonite and Central Plateau regions, with an
accumulated 295 deaths and 3,612 cases registered to date, Haitian health
authorities said.
Although the number of new deaths and cases has slowed slightly from earlier
days, a United Nations-led international medical response is fighting to
prevent the outbreak from penetrating Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, which
is crowded with 1.3 million homeless survivors of a January 12 earthquake.
The epidemic has jolted the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation with another
crisis 9-1/2 months after the catastrophic quake that killed more than half
a million people.
It also comes a little over a month before the country is due to hold
presidential and legislative elections on November 28. Despite the disease
outbreak, the polls were still set to go ahead as scheduled, Pierre-Louis
Opont, the director general of Haiti's provisional electoral council, told
Reuters.
Announcing updated case figures at a news conference, the Haitian health
ministry's director of epidemiology Roc Magloire said that of five cases
previously reported in the capital, only one had been confirmed by
laboratory tests to be cholera.
Nevertheless, the U.N., the government, and its foreign aid partners are
expecting the disease to spread further in its epidemic phase. They have
launched a combined treatment, containment and prevention strategy for the
whole country.
"The next news for us and for you is when geographically, new pockets of the
epidemic ... emerge, in Port-au-Prince or elsewhere," Dr. Michel Thieren,
the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) top official in Haiti, told
Reuters.
Suspected cases have been reported in Nord and Sud provinces, but are
pending laboratory results.
Thieren said however a slight slowing in the rate of new deaths and cases
was being observed in the main outbreak area of Artibonite, which he called
encouraging and attributable in part to an aggressive multinational medical
response.
With the epidemic reestablishing cholera in Haiti after a long absence, the
disease would now become endemic, joining illnesses like malaria,
tuberculosis and HIV AIDS which have been afflicting impoverished Haitians
for years, Thieren said.
"It's normal that we should expect a settlement of cholera in Haiti
nationwide over the coming months," he added. But it was hard to predict
exactly how the epidemic would spread.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON ALERT
The U.N. has said a nationwide outbreak with tens of thousands of cases is
still "a real possibility".
The international humanitarian operation has rushed doctors, nurses and
medicines to the rural central zone straddling the Artibonite River, the
suspected source of the disease which is transmitted by contaminated water
and food.
Special cholera treatment centers are being set up in the main outbreak
zone, in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere, to isolate patients. A public
education campaign is urging the country's 10 million people to wash their
hands regularly with soap, avoid eating raw vegetables, and boil food and
drinking water.
If left untreated, cholera can kill in hours by dehydrating victims with
severe diarrhea, but if caught early it can easily be treated with an oral
rehydration solution -- or a simple mixture of water, sugar and salt.
Health Minister Alex Larsen announced the government would train 30,000
health workers to join the anti-cholera campaign across the nation in the
coming months.
PAHO, the regional office of the World Health Organization, has said there
is a "high risk" of the cholera spreading across the border of the island of
Hispaniola to Dominican Republic.
The border has not been formally closed but on Monday Dominican Republic
authorities canceled the regular farm market normally held in the northern
frontier town of Dajabon, and prevented hundreds of Haitians from crossing
to attend it.
PAHO has also alerted other states in the Caribbean about the epidemic, the
first of cholera in the Americas since a 1991 outbreak in Peru, and was
seeking resources to fight it from members like Brazil, Cuba, the United
States and Canada.
Cholera in Haiti: Another Disease of Poverty in a Traumatized Land | Partners In Health
Partners in Health says that cholera was last in Haiti in the 1960s
Partners in Health says that cholera was last in Haiti in the 1960s
MINUSTAH says that its forces use septic tanks which are emptied every week
MINUSTAH denies rumour that it spread cholera in Haiti | Earth Times News
Commentary
Water Failure: The Roots of the Cholera Outbreak
I saw the news of a potential cholera outbreak on my twitter feed late on
Wednesday, October 20th. Immediately, I knew it would not be a simple case
of isolated infections. It is obvious that many health experts have
predicted an outbreak ever since the earthquake, now that it is finally
happening, we need to find the genesis of what could very well be the worst
health epidemic in Haiti since the invasion of AIDS in the early 80?s.
Cholera as they referred to it in Haiti is a disease of ?dlo sal? dirty
water. It has been more than forty years since Haiti had a cholera outbreak,
but that is not to say people haven?t been dying in isolation from the
bacteria toxin. As much as we would like to think it?s because of good
preventive measures that an outbreak has spared the country during that
span, the reality of our healthcare system would tell us it has been more
luck than anything else. Haiti?s conditions make it a perfect incubator for
cholera and other pathogens like it.
To understand the reasons why more than 250 people have died so far, and
scores are infected, we must take our time to analyze the roots cause of the
outbreak, and what should have been done before it even went on this killing
rampage.
Haiti, as a country has had a series of poor governments that have not
prioritized or valued human lives. It is clear that bad water policies are
at the core of this current outbreak. For a country so rich in natural water
resources, it is a shame that our government could not implement basic
treatment procedures to make clean, potable water accessible to people all
over the country. The Haitian government inability to do this basic task is
obviously the main culprit of why so many people?s lives are currently in
danger to end because of cholera.
Instead of policies or plans to invest in water treatment facilities, we
have been witnessing an erosion of the few water pipes we had in the capital
and the other major metropolitan areas. There is not a single waste
management facility in Haiti. Overall, the politics of water in Haiti has
been a complete failure, and today we are paying a dear price for it.
It is easy for experts to point the fingers at the Artibonite River as the
source of the cholera outbreak, but what they won?t tell people is that
throughout Haiti, especially in the rural and remote areas, people have been
using river water for everything, from cleaning their clothes to cooking.
Why has it taken so long for cholera or other bacteria to really become
problematic for the population?
We are all too familiar with the Haitian saying that ?microbes do not kill
Haitians.? Many of us truly believe that we are immunized to microbes and
bacteria because we are born in unsanitary conditions and are very likely to
die in those conditions, so it is naturally expected that microbes can?t
kill us. This cholera outbreak is disproving this false theory.
The genesis of the outbreak is not really the Artibonite River as some would
like to make us believe. It is true that the river might be contaminated
with the bacteria, and the fact that people in the region are using it for
daily chores might have precipitated the outbreak, but the roots of the
outbreak is directly tied with poor governance and lack of regulation.
The access to clean water is a right in most countries, but unfortunately in
impoverished countries like Haiti, it is a luxury. Since this is the case,
greed, corruption and monopoly can find room to make suffer the rest of the
population.
For the Haitian entrepreneurs or businessmen without a conscience, the
inability of the government to provide the most important substance of life
to the people has opened an opportunity for them to make more money. Often
times, we hear people talk about Haiti should not have to import
agricultural products, but rarely does anyone question Haiti?s import of
water.
Before I left Haiti in the mid 1990?s, Culligan was the major company
providing treated water to folks who could afford it. Most people in the
metropolitan area relied on CAMEP for clean water. Over the years, more
companies and NGOs have entered the field of providing clean water to the
population, but more than ever less and less people can afford to get clean
water. There has been improvement in some areas, and at the same time the
conditions have gotten a lot worse in other parts of the country.
Water distribution to the Haitian people has become a lucrative business for
many, and it is an unregulated business. Anyone in the comfort of their home
can start a business of selling ?so-called? treated water. There is no lab
test required, and no government agency that can certify indeed these people
are selling clean water. Everything is left up to chance.
We have an organized water industry that is obviously controlled by
well-to-do families, which is involved in the importation of water bottle.
Rather than investing money locally to employ Haitians in water treatment
and the build-up of modern water pipes throughout the country, the Haitian
businessman is more concerned about making large profits at the detriment of
the people. On average, a 12 oz. water bottle in Haiti can cost between
40-80 Gourdes. The daily minimum wage in Haiti is less than 200 Gourdes, so
that tells you how hard it is for even an employed individual to get access
to clean water, let alone the majority without a job.
The international community can pour in all the water they can, all the
medicines they have to respond to this very real threat of the cholera
outbreak, but until the Haitian government and the Haitian entrepreneurs
understand this is really a national security threat, cholera and pathogens
like it will continue to take lives.
The treatment for cholera and other bacterial outbreaks will not solely come
from hospitals, doctors, or the international community. The technology of
water purification is simple and not too expensive; Haiti is rich with water
resources. If we truly need to prevent future outbreaks, it would be wise to
start investing real capital in establishing water treatment facilities
throughout the country, build up waste management facilities, invest in the
education of the people, and for once treasure the importance of our rivers.
The Artibonite River might have been where this outbreak starts to escalate,
but its origins begins with the Haitian government, which has failed to
invest in the proper infrastructure, setup guidelines for those in the water
business, and purely being ignorant about a very real danger. The absence of
the government has allowed a few families to exploit the scarcity of clean
water, and with the combination of impoverished conditions, people often
found themselves going back to using dirty river water, which more often
than not would be filled with all kind of toxins, including Vibrio cholera.
-- Your Passionate Servant,
Ilio Durandis
Founder
Haiti 2015
Haiti 2015: WI, NOU PARE
Water Failure: The Roots of the Cholera Outbreak
I saw the news of a potential cholera outbreak on my twitter feed late on
Wednesday, October 20th. Immediately, I knew it would not be a simple case
of isolated infections. It is obvious that many health experts have
predicted an outbreak ever since the earthquake, now that it is finally
happening, we need to find the genesis of what could very well be the worst
health epidemic in Haiti since the invasion of AIDS in the early 80?s.
Cholera as they referred to it in Haiti is a disease of ?dlo sal? dirty
water. It has been more than forty years since Haiti had a cholera outbreak,
but that is not to say people haven?t been dying in isolation from the
bacteria toxin. As much as we would like to think it?s because of good
preventive measures that an outbreak has spared the country during that
span, the reality of our healthcare system would tell us it has been more
luck than anything else. Haiti?s conditions make it a perfect incubator for
cholera and other pathogens like it.
To understand the reasons why more than 250 people have died so far, and
scores are infected, we must take our time to analyze the roots cause of the
outbreak, and what should have been done before it even went on this killing
rampage.
Haiti, as a country has had a series of poor governments that have not
prioritized or valued human lives. It is clear that bad water policies are
at the core of this current outbreak. For a country so rich in natural water
resources, it is a shame that our government could not implement basic
treatment procedures to make clean, potable water accessible to people all
over the country. The Haitian government inability to do this basic task is
obviously the main culprit of why so many people?s lives are currently in
danger to end because of cholera.
Instead of policies or plans to invest in water treatment facilities, we
have been witnessing an erosion of the few water pipes we had in the capital
and the other major metropolitan areas. There is not a single waste
management facility in Haiti. Overall, the politics of water in Haiti has
been a complete failure, and today we are paying a dear price for it.
It is easy for experts to point the fingers at the Artibonite River as the
source of the cholera outbreak, but what they won?t tell people is that
throughout Haiti, especially in the rural and remote areas, people have been
using river water for everything, from cleaning their clothes to cooking.
Why has it taken so long for cholera or other bacteria to really become
problematic for the population?
We are all too familiar with the Haitian saying that ?microbes do not kill
Haitians.? Many of us truly believe that we are immunized to microbes and
bacteria because we are born in unsanitary conditions and are very likely to
die in those conditions, so it is naturally expected that microbes can?t
kill us. This cholera outbreak is disproving this false theory.
The genesis of the outbreak is not really the Artibonite River as some would
like to make us believe. It is true that the river might be contaminated
with the bacteria, and the fact that people in the region are using it for
daily chores might have precipitated the outbreak, but the roots of the
outbreak is directly tied with poor governance and lack of regulation.
The access to clean water is a right in most countries, but unfortunately in
impoverished countries like Haiti, it is a luxury. Since this is the case,
greed, corruption and monopoly can find room to make suffer the rest of the
population.
For the Haitian entrepreneurs or businessmen without a conscience, the
inability of the government to provide the most important substance of life
to the people has opened an opportunity for them to make more money. Often
times, we hear people talk about Haiti should not have to import
agricultural products, but rarely does anyone question Haiti?s import of
water.
Before I left Haiti in the mid 1990?s, Culligan was the major company
providing treated water to folks who could afford it. Most people in the
metropolitan area relied on CAMEP for clean water. Over the years, more
companies and NGOs have entered the field of providing clean water to the
population, but more than ever less and less people can afford to get clean
water. There has been improvement in some areas, and at the same time the
conditions have gotten a lot worse in other parts of the country.
Water distribution to the Haitian people has become a lucrative business for
many, and it is an unregulated business. Anyone in the comfort of their home
can start a business of selling ?so-called? treated water. There is no lab
test required, and no government agency that can certify indeed these people
are selling clean water. Everything is left up to chance.
We have an organized water industry that is obviously controlled by
well-to-do families, which is involved in the importation of water bottle.
Rather than investing money locally to employ Haitians in water treatment
and the build-up of modern water pipes throughout the country, the Haitian
businessman is more concerned about making large profits at the detriment of
the people. On average, a 12 oz. water bottle in Haiti can cost between
40-80 Gourdes. The daily minimum wage in Haiti is less than 200 Gourdes, so
that tells you how hard it is for even an employed individual to get access
to clean water, let alone the majority without a job.
The international community can pour in all the water they can, all the
medicines they have to respond to this very real threat of the cholera
outbreak, but until the Haitian government and the Haitian entrepreneurs
understand this is really a national security threat, cholera and pathogens
like it will continue to take lives.
The treatment for cholera and other bacterial outbreaks will not solely come
from hospitals, doctors, or the international community. The technology of
water purification is simple and not too expensive; Haiti is rich with water
resources. If we truly need to prevent future outbreaks, it would be wise to
start investing real capital in establishing water treatment facilities
throughout the country, build up waste management facilities, invest in the
education of the people, and for once treasure the importance of our rivers.
The Artibonite River might have been where this outbreak starts to escalate,
but its origins begins with the Haitian government, which has failed to
invest in the proper infrastructure, setup guidelines for those in the water
business, and purely being ignorant about a very real danger. The absence of
the government has allowed a few families to exploit the scarcity of clean
water, and with the combination of impoverished conditions, people often
found themselves going back to using dirty river water, which more often
than not would be filled with all kind of toxins, including Vibrio cholera.
-- Your Passionate Servant,
Ilio Durandis
Founder
Haiti 2015
Haiti 2015: WI, NOU PARE