Haiti faces fresh cholera outbreak after Hurricane Matthew, aid agencies fear
Haiti faces fresh cholera outbreak after Hurricane Matthew, aid agencies fear
At least 200 suspected cases of the waterborne disease have been reported and an urgent response is called for with thousands lacking access to clean water
Amanda Holpuch in New York
@holpuch
Friday 14 October 2016 06.00 EDT
Cholera is surging in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew fouled wells, flooded rivers and latrines and forced survivors to drink contaminated storm water – even in regions that have received some deliveries of emergency aid.
Less than two weeks after the earthquake, at least 200 suspected new cases of cholera have been detected in the country, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is sending 1m cholera vaccines to Haiti at the end of this week.
Aid agencies fear that without a major effort by the international community, survivors of the storm will face a fresh outbreak of the disease.
“There will be many more cases of cholera, and unnecessary deaths, all across areas affected by the hurricane if large-scale cholera treatment and prevention response doesn’t reach them immediately,” said Conor Shapiro, president and CEO of the St Boniface Haiti Foundation, which operates a hospital in the southern part of Haiti.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/14/haiti-cholera-hurricane-matthew-aid-agencies