Haiti and global organizations have developed a network of treatment centers that allow people like Peter James to be spared an excruciating death.
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Fighting cholera is now becoming a major priority for Haiti after Hurricane Matthew managed to make rivers overflow and wreak havoc on the country’s sewage system. “They are still people who just want to be loved”.
“Everyone agrees that the elections need to move forward and need to be completed and that having a newly elected president in place will allow the government to deal [better] with the longer-term issues than having a provisional government in place”, the ambassador said.
Doctors in Haiti are anxious about a spike in cholera cases.
“They’re not supposed to be in the sun, but we have no more beds”, Sanon said. Increasingly desperate survivors are pleading for food, water and shelter.
What are your biggest concerns at this point?
Mayors and representatives of the central government in the affected areas have revealed over the past few days figures that amount to 1,332 people killed as Matthew lashed towns and villages with high winds and torrential rain. We’ve sent 13 helicopters, which are helping. “That’s the only way we can control cholera”, Dr Dominique Legros, a World Health Organization expert, said on Tuesday.
We’re working with the Haitian authorities, the United Nations and the USA military to airlift in [special cholera treatment equipment].
He also noted that the worldwide community should enhance assistance to Haiti in a more targeted manner and help the Haitian government strengthen its governance capacity so that Haiti can achieve development on its own at an early date.
In 2010, a devastating cholera outbreak infected hundreds of thousands in Haiti just months after a severe quake left more than 100,000 dead.
The Haitian Catholic Mission out of Our Lady of Peace Parish is already preparing ways to help the victims of Hurricane Matthew.
I can’t really address the local response. “For them it’s not just about getting immediate relief supplies, it’s more like what happens next week, what happens next month?” Many people in remote communities have trouble reaching treatment.
We understand that cholera is a complicated issue and a delicate and hard health problem. The Minister of Health, Benedict Daphnee Delsoin, said that his staff were working to regain control of the situation and to prevent the resurgence of the cholera epidemic.
Those working to send everything from water purification systems to building materials say the scope of the damage from Matthew and the difficulty reaching people create logistical challenges similar to those faced after the devastating quake that struck the crowded capital and surrounding areas in January 2010.
The Rev. Al Sharpton recently said he won’t donate to hurricane relief until he finds out what happened to the natural disaster aid.
The relief effort is falling short of meeting the needs of those affected by the storm.
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“We have to respond to the emergency right now”, said Masciarelli. An announcement on a new date is expected for later in the week.”If the (provisional electoral) council asks me tomorrow to publish a presidential decree inviting the people to the polls for such and such date, I will take that decision”, said Privert.
