In the island nation of Haiti, more and more people are showing symptoms of cholera infection. 800 cases have been confirmed. One in five leads to death so far. The organization Doctors Without Borders sounds the alarm and calls for more support.
In view of the rising number of cholera cases in Haiti, the organization Doctors Without Borders has called for an expansion of the relief effort. “Our current centers are filling up and we will soon be at capacity,” said MSF Haiti country coordinator Mumuza Muhindo.
“Since the end of October we have treated an average of 270 patients per day in our centers. In the first two weeks it was only about 50. The development is very worrying.” According to their own information, Médecins Sans Frontières is responsible for more than 60 percent of the bed capacities for the treatment of cholera patients in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
After no more cholera cases were registered in the Caribbean country for three years, the disease broke out again in early October. The Ministry of Health has so far reported around 8,700 suspected cases, around 800 confirmed cases and 161 patient deaths across the country. The Haitian government and the United Nations recently asked for $145.6 million in aid to step up the fight against the infectious disease.
Haiti is the poorest country on the American continent and has suffered from corruption, violence and natural disasters for years. Fighting between rival gangs has recently exacerbated the situation. Thousands of people are starving. The situation is so serious that the interim government recently asked the UN for help through an international armed force.
A cholera epidemic broke out in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Over 9300 people died from the infectious disease. According to estimates by experts, Nepalese UN peacekeepers brought the disease into the country at the time. Only years later did the United Nations concede its “moral responsibility” towards the victims.
