Santo Domingo/Puerto Príncipe.- Haiti is facing a new cholera outbreak, with 17 confirmed deaths since the second week of September, which could increase due to the lack of sanitary conditions and the rains expected these days in a context of extreme vulnerability with 1.4 million internally displaced persons due to the violence imposed by the bloody armed gangs.
Several municipalities in the West department, including
Pétion-Ville, located in the upper part of Port-au-Prince, have been facing a resurgence of cholera cases since last month, which had decreased considerably in the last two years after the outbreak declared in October 2022 that caused more than 700 deaths.
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Haiti experienced the first cholera outbreak in October 2010, which affected more than 820,000 people and caused about 10,000 deaths. Its origin was linked to the dumping of feces into a river by blue helmets who were part of the United Nations Mission in Haiti (Minustah).
A health threat amidst the chaos
The Ministry of Public Health and Population of Haiti (MSPP) confirmed a week ago 47 deaths from cholera so far this year, just as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned of "unprecedented levels" in the number of people displaced by violence and instability in Haiti.
More than 1.4 million people have been forced to leave their homes this year, the highest figure ever recorded in the island nation, which has been going through a deep crisis for years.
However, since September, a "very significant" increase in suspected and confirmed cases of cholera has been observed compared to 2024, says in a telephone interview with EFE the representative of PAHO/WHO in Haiti, Dr. Oscar Martin Barreneche.
This, points out Barreneche, occurs after ten to eleven weeks without any confirmed cases of the disease, an acute diarrheal infection caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacteria, which is generally contracted through contaminated food or water.
Thus, since the second week of September, 272 suspected cases have been reported, with 42 confirmed and 17 deaths, 11 of them in health centers.
"There is a particular vulnerability at this time for the outbreak to increase significantly," he warns.
Among the causes of the outbreak, Dr. Barreneche cites several, including the circulation of the cholera vibrio, which is the causative agent, but also the rains and the sanitary situation in the displaced persons camps, although no cases have yet been confirmed in these places.
Furthermore, Pétion-Ville, a commune considered safe, is experiencing an influx of people greater than that of other localities in Port-au-Prince, which is 90% controlled by armed gangs.
Precarities to address cases
EFE visited two health centers, one in Pèlerin and another in Thomassin 25, both in the commune of Pétion-Ville, where several people arrived with symptoms of the disease, but shortly after being medicated they were sent home because these facilities lack the conditions to attend to this type of case.
In this commune, the vast majority of people lack sanitation services, which forces many to relieve themselves in the river, whose water they use for drinking or washing clothes.
Precisely, following the notification of the first cases in Pétion-Ville, the Public Ministry announced an immediate action plan that includes the availability of chlorinated water points in service delivery institutions and public places.
In statements to EFE, Dr. Barreneche acknowledged that there are no specialized centers in the area for the treatment of cholera, so patients are referred to Cité Soleil, a dangerous neighborhood in the north of Port-au-Prince controlled by gang members.
One of the measures being evaluated, he said, is the possibility of enabling treatment and management centers for suspected cases in the commune of Pétion-Ville "so that people don't have to travel, don't have to be referred so far."
Meanwhile, local authorities together with international organizations have "aligned under the leadership of the Ministry of Health to take the necessary actions in the different pillars" and stop the outbreak, he assured.
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