cholera in haiti echo factsheet - European Commission - Europa EU

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CHOLERA IN HAITI

ECHO FACTSHEET

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ECHO’s assistance is needs-based, result-oriented and built on the fundamental principles of humanity, independence, neutrality and impartiality, enshrined by the European Consensus on humanitarian aid

Facts & Figures

8,531 dead* 389,903 hospital admissions* 696,794 cases in the country* *From Oct 2010 up to December 31st 2013. Source: Report from Haiti Ministry of Public Health.

€37 million to address the cholera epidemic 2010-2013

3 million people benefitted from the EU's life-saving operations

A child gets soap as part of a cholera prevention campaign funded by ECHO. PHOTO: CARE/E. Hockstein

Key messages

ECHO is the European Union’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department and comes under the responsibility of Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.



With almost 700 000 cholera cases registered and 8 531 people killed up to December 2013, the epidemic which broke out October 2010 is one of the largest ever registered in the world.



The European Commission's Department of Humanitarian Protection, ECHO, €37 million more than 3 million people.



In the first year of the epidemic, the EU funding made possible:  Access to cholera treatment for 158 814 people, support to 26 health facilities and 42 treatment units, oral rehydration for 122 500 people;  Access to improved sanitation facilities for 894 511 people;  Distribution of hygiene kits for 1,3 million people.

For further information please contact Isabel Coello, ECHO's Regional Information Officer for Latin America: [email protected]

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The mortality rate remains high and the risk of new peaks of cholera is very much present. An estimated 45 000 people could be affected by cholera during 2014. Meanwhile, the EU response has saved a significant number of lives, as the reduced mortality rate shows (halved from 2.4% in November 2010 to 1.2% in December 2013).



Haiti is the largest beneficiary of European Commission's humanitarian aid in Latin America and the Caribbean, with over €294 million in humanitarian aid from 1995 to 2013. ECHO is one of the last humanitarian donors present in the country and continues to address the humanitarian needs still prevalent, including those related to cholera.

European Commission – Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection B-1049 Brussels, Belgium Tel.: (+32 2) 295 44 00 [email protected]

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http://ec.europa.eu/echo

ECHO Factsheet Haiti – February 2014

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Background Cholera is a diarrhoeal disease caused by a bacteria that survives in water and faeces. Most people get infected from contaminated water. It can kill within hours. Up to 80% of cases can be successfully cured with oral rehydration salts. It is a preventable disease provided safe water and proper sanitation are available. On 19 October 2010, in Haiti’s valley of the Artibonite the first cases of cholera were registered. The outbreak quickly spread all over the country, becoming one of the world largest epidemics ever. In the first 5 months, 4 700 people died and 268 000 cases were recorded, according to the Health Ministry figures. Haiti is the poorest country on the American continent with a weak health system and a poor state of water and sanitation infrastructure. Half of the population lack access to clean water and only one in five have access to basic sanitation. This contributed to the initially very high mortality rates among an extremely vulnerable population with no immunity against the disease, as cholera was a new disease to Haiti. As of December 31st 2013, the Ministry of Health has registered 696 794 cases and 8 531 deaths countrywide.

The European Union's Humanitarian Response Immediately after the outbreak of the epidemic, the European Commission allocated €22 million to assist the victims. Approximately 3 million people benefited through the assistance provided by ECHO's humanitarian partners. During the acute phase of the epidemic, humanitarian funding priorities were: - to establish cholera treatment facilities by NGOs (Oral Rehydration Point, Cholera Treatment Unit/Center); - to strengthen the capacities of the health system staff who had no previous experience in dealing with cholera; A Cholera Treatment Center. ©EU 2011/EC/ECHO/I.C.

- to reinforce the epidemiological surveillance, which serves to have a clear picture of the evolution of the outbreak.

Another focus was the improvement of access to water and sanitation and on hygiene activities and educational campaigns among the population– all of them key to prevent people from getting infected. ECHO has devoted additional €10 million to the cholera response in 2011 and 2012, and €5 million in 2013. The emphasis has been on strengthening access to water, sanitation and hygiene and strengthening the knowledge, attitudes and practice of the communities with regards to hygiene and habits to prevent the disease. Current needs and 2014 strategy The worse peaks of the epidemic seem to be over and cholera numbers have gone down. However, the risk is far from over. Cholera can flare up again at any moment and spread out of the locations where it persists. Incidence rates have shown peaks during all rainy seasons in the last two years. Based on 2013 incidence rates, an estimated 45 000 people could be affected by cholera during 2014. Four departments (West, Artibonite, Centre, and North) are considered to be the most at risk of cholera transmission. In 2014, ECHO's strategy, in line with the Government Emergency Plan, aims at reducing the number of cholera cases and reduce the mortality rate below 1% by ensuring that: -

the coordinated water, sanitation and health response to new peaks is reinforced;

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the early warning system is efficient and guides the operations;

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the authorities' have capacity to provide healthcare for cholera patients and control the spread of the disease are strengthened. In 2013, the Government launched a 10 year cholera elimination plan. The plan aims to limit the transmission of cholera by improving access to water, sanitation, hygiene and health care facilities for 80-90% of the Haitian population. ECHO funds activities in the frame of the Haiti two-year operational plan of the Cholera Elimination Plan (2013-2015).

ECHO Factsheet Haiti – February 2014

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