According to OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), despite structural deficits and financial constraints, the fight against cholera is slowly being won. Joint national and international efforts have resulted in a substantial reduction of cholera cases and deaths. However, an upsurge in the last quarter of 2014 continues to affect Port-au-Prince's metropolitan area, illustrating the shift of the epidemic from rural to urban areas.

From January to April 2015, a threefold increase in the number of cases has been registered comparing to the situation of the same period in 2014. This raises concerns with regards to the upcoming rainy season, as cholera in Haiti traditionally expands.

From January to April 2015 there have been 14,226 new cases of cholera, an increase of +306% compared to the same period in 2014; there have been 121 new death an increase of +378% compared to the same period in 2014. From October 2010 to April 2015 there have been 738,000 cases and 7,964 cumulative deaths.

Cholera response plans remain underfunded. This could negatively affect the response if the underfunding persists in the second semester of 2015.

The National Plan (2012-2022) which amounts to $ 2.1 billion is funded at 18%, the UN Support Plan (2014-2015) 72 million is funded at 45% and the transition appeal (2015- 2016) of 80.3 million is financed at 7%.

For the month of April alone there have been 2,812 cases of cholera, including 1,722 in the West, throughout the national territory 47 mobile teams and 35 organizations are involved.

In summary cholera persists because of weak water and sanitation infrastructure, lack of access to quality medical care, deficiencies in the alert-and-coordination system, deficiencies in the chlorination of the water-supply network and the human internal factor (displacement).

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-14014-haiti-social-$50m-grant-to-improve-access-to-drinking-water.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13999-haiti-health-dinepa-fight-to-eradicate-cholera.html

HL/ HaitiLibre