PORT-AU-PRINCE (October 22, 2010) – CARE is mobilizing staff and stockpiling supplies in response to a deadly cholera outbreak that health officials fear could spread beyond the Artibonite region of Haiti. More than 138 people have already died, and 1,526 cases have been confirmed.
“Cholera hasn’t reached Port-au-Prince, but it would be devastating if it hit the camps in and around the capital,” said Virginia Ubik, CARE Haiti’s country director. “The people live in such dense proximity that any outbreak of disease would spread rapidly. Hygiene is very poor in the camps already, making people very susceptible to disease. We’re very lucky that we haven’t had a major outbreak of disease since the earthquake, but it might happen now.”
The Government of Haiti confirmed today that the disease is cholera. Local medical services in the affected area are working around the clock to treat patients, and the humanitarian community has begun to respond.
The outbreak in Artibonite spread within a matter of days, raising fears that it could flare up in other regions of the country just as quickly. CARE, whose ongoing health programs in and around Port-au-Prince are part of its earthquake response program, has ordered an initial supply of water purification tablets and hygiene materials. CARE also is procuring additional supplies and oral rehydration salts in case a cholera outbreak reaches Port-au-Prince. CARE, which has worked in Haiti since 1954, has started cholera awareness and education among its staff, preparing them for a response to a wider outbreak.
Cholera is a water-borne disease that causes acute watery diarrhoea, allowing the disease to spread very quickly. Without treatment, more than 50 percent of people infected are likely to die. Cholera can be prevented by providing clean drinking water, good sanitation and prompt treatment to people infected.
CARE is operating earthquake response programs, including health interventions, in Carrefour, a densely populated sector of Port-au-Prince, and in outlying Léogâne. CARE’s ongoing health and hygiene activities include distribution of water to spontaneous settlements; building, rehabilitating and cleaning latrines; cash-for-work activities to clear waste in camps; hygiene promotion; and support for hygiene attendants.
About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is one of the world’s largest humanitarian aid agencies. Working side by side with poor people in 70 countries, CARE helps empower communities to address the greatest threats to their survival. Women are at the heart of CARE’s efforts to improve health, education and economic development because experience shows that a woman’s achievements yield dramatic benefits for her entire family. CARE is also committed to providing lifesaving assistance during times of crisis and helping rebuild safer, stronger communities afterward.