News from SASH, Haiti

22-06-2011

News from Haiti - there's even more need than ever to fund new wells.....

The number of cholera cases last week has spiked hugely, there were 241 cases of cholera which is the largest number of cases since the beginning back in October. Most of the cases seem to be in areas where the river has flooded and innundated latrines, open wells, peoples homes.

At this time the Cholera treatment centres are at capacity but are coping and the mortality rate remains 0.98% which is better than we'd hoped. All WASH and particulary hygiene promotion actors are focusing on education about how to protect families from contracting cholera but we're still facing problems with people looking at water and deciding that it's safe to drink if it looks clean which right now no water is safe to drink without treating it by boiling or by adding bleach/aquatabs

All partners are under no illusion that cholera can be eradicated from Haiti, it will become endemic here but the focus is on keeping the number of cases per week within the capabilities of the CTC's until such time as the majority of the population has had it and survived.

Disturbing news and highlighting the need for ever more wells

Melanie Coull