Help PIH Respond to Cholera Outbreak in Haiti

Cholera is unfortunately still a part of daily life in Haiti. Years after one of the world’s deadliest outbreaks of Cholera, government and international agencies are still working to stop the spread of the disease. Partners In Health is one of these, thanks to supporters like you.

First introduced by UN peacekeeping forces, Cholera has had a devastating effect on Haiti. 10,000 people have been killed and countless more have fallen ill. That included mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons as well as infants. What makes Cholera a tough illness to combat is the manner in which it spreads and the conditions in which it thrives. Haiti’s environment provides both.

Being a waterborne illness, Cholera is spread by contaminated drinking water. In the absence of latrines or public sewage systems, the world’s poor often drink from the same river or stream used for defecation — infecting water supplies. This means that developing nations and areas affected by natural disasters are often at risk of Cholera outbreaks. In the case of Haiti, this small country has the unfortunate luck of being both a developing nation and a nation routinely affected by natural disasters.

However, there is still hope for Haiti. The number of cases and deaths per year has dramatically decreased. A part of that is due to donors like you.

Relief came to the people of Haiti in 2012 when large scale vaccination programs were launched to protect the people from the harmful bacteria. PIH was among one of the outbreak’s first responders in Haiti. Within several months, PIH had set up 11 Cholera treatment facilities throughout the country and began treating the sick. These vaccination programs were highly successful in reducing the total number of Cholera cases and defying expectations by successfully protecting 90% of adults and 94% of children.

That was until October 4, 2016, when Hurricane Matthew struck the small island nation. As expected with this water-borne disease, after the hurricane hit there was again an increase in the number of Cholera case and deaths. Thankfully, PIH and other relief agencies were there and ready to help the survivors. PIH directly treated 1,682 patients following the hurricane and worked with the Haitian Ministry of Health to help vaccinate an additional 800,000 Haitians.

In Haiti, PIH remains the largest non-profit health care provider, and as such we will continue to work there to protect the citizens in reducing (and maybe eliminating) deaths and illness due to Cholera. Your support has contributed to the countless lives that were saved from Cholera. We thank you!