Help PIH Respond to Cholera Outbreak in Haiti

Photo: Carline, 29, received treatment for cholera at a Partners In Health cholera treatment center in Mirebalais, Haiti, in March.

We thank you for supporting Partners In Health and our work to treat and prevent cholera in Haiti.  Below is an overview of our work since the outbreak began, as reported by Cate Oswald, Senior Program Manager for Parters In Health in Haiti.   Your continued support allows us to address the ongoing needs of patients across Haiti.  Often it is a very small amount of money that is required to save the life of someone infected with cholera.    

Since cholera was introduced to Haiti in October 2010, it has killed more than 8,500 people, sickened more than 700,000, and become one of the world’s largest epidemics in recent history. To date, Partners In Health (PIH) and our Haitian sister organization Zanmi Lasante (ZL) have treated more than 105,000 cases in the Central Plateau, representing almost one-sixth of total cholera cases in Haiti. PIH/ZL has also worked in partnership with the nonprofit GHESKIO to vaccinate nearly 100,000 people in the first-ever oral cholera vaccine campaign in Haiti.

As it is clear that cholera is in Haiti for the long term, PIH/ZL remains committed to a comprehensive strategy for cholera prevention and treatment. With a main focus on providing high-quality treatment and care, our strategy has incorporated public education; aggressive case finding; oral cholera vaccine implementation; improved access to clean water and proper sanitation; and advocacy of stronger international policies and funding accessibility for cholera treatment and prevention in Haiti.

PIH/ZL is deeply committed to doing whatever it takes to stem the tide of cholera in Haiti. Each day, our community teams distribute chlorine solution so that people can treat their water, and our staff of dedicated doctors, nurses, cooks, cleaners, and infection control specialists work to prevent new infections and deaths from cholera. PIH/ZL maintains a level of preparedness, in the form of clinical staff and treatment supplies, to respond to spikes in cholera cases within our service area and ensure that all new cases are diagnosed and treated. We continue to provide cholera treatment services in the form of acute diarrheal disease units at each of the public hospitals where we work in conjunction with the MSPP.

Truly bringing an end to cholera in Haiti will require a coordinated effort: the government, private sector, and public sector must invest together in a comprehensive response, including long-term improvements in water and sanitation. PIH/ZL is dedicated to continuing advocacy efforts with governments and multilateral organizations to work toward a long-term solution for water security and infrastructure in Haiti, as well as disseminating far and wide the news of our successful efforts to comprehensively combat cholera. Research reporting the resultsof PIH’s cholera vaccination project in Haiti was recently published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

 Despite the fact that international funding for cholera prevention and treatment has diminished, we anticipate that health facilities will continue to see more cases and more deaths from cholera, particularly in rural areas. PIH/ZL continues to seek dedicated funding to ensure that we are able to maintain our comprehensive approach, prevent unnecessary deaths, and build on the progress Haiti has made in combating the cholera epidemic.