Médecins Sans Frontières alarmed by resurgence of cholera in Haiti

Médecins Sans Frontières cholera treatment center in the Delmas 33 area of Port au Prince, May 11, 2011. © Yann Libessart/MSF

PORT-AU-PRINCE, 3 June 2011—The Haitian cholera epidemic is far from over. A sharp increase in cases has been seen in the capital and outbreaks have been reported elsewhere in the country.

Although the cholera epidemic in Haiti began to decline in February, it has not yet ended. In Médecins Sans Frontières cholera treatment centres (CTCs) in Port-au-Prince, teams have in fact seen an increase in cases since mid-May.

Médecins Sans Frontières had to reopen emergency CTCs to prevent existing treatment centres in Carrefour, Delmas, Martissant, Cité Soleil and Drouillard from being overwhelmed.

"Since 29 May, in one week, Médecins Sans Frontières has treated almost 2000 patients in the capital, and we have also been asked to intervene in other areas in the interior of the country. Workload should be shared and coordinated in order to increase cholera treatment capacity in Haiti. Too many public facilities are still inadequate," said Médecins Sans Frontières head of mission Romain Gitenet.

It is essential that the authorities and their humanitarian partners mobilise to stop the spread of the disease by strengthening the national surveillance system and treatment facilities. Immediate improvements in hygiene, sanitation, and drinking water supply should be a national priority, in order to protect the most vulnerable people.

But for Gitenet, "vigilance is still the best protection. People must be strict about their hygiene and drink treated water. As soon as cholera symptoms like vomiting and diarrhoea appear, it is vital to go as quickly as possible to a treatment centre. Cholera is treatable, but without medical care it kills quickly."

As of the end of May, cholera has killed nearly 5,000 people from among the 300,000 cases reported in the country. Three percent of the country’s population has contracted the disease.

Médecins Sans Frontières has treated 130,000 Haitians for cholera (43% of total cases). As soon as the first cases were confirmed in October 2010, Médecins Sans Frontières teams deployed to nine of Haiti’s ten departments to support local health facilities.

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