Haiti: 3,000 killed by cholera epidemic

Haiti: 3,000 people died from cholera epidemic

After the earthquake disaster last year, the situation in Haiti has still not returned to normal. The number of cholera infections has increased dramatically. According to the Haitian Ministry of Health, 3,333 victims died as a result of a cholera infection by December 26 of last year. Overall, around 150,000 people have been infected with cholera since the outbreak of the epidemic ten weeks ago, experts from the Ministry of Health estimate. Every day, more than 30 people still die from the consequences of an infection, with international health experts expecting these numbers to increase significantly if, as predicted by various projections, up to 400,000 people become infected in the next twelve months.

Cholera infection risk from drinking water and food Since cholera last broke out in Haiti over 100 years ago and is not one of the common diseases of the local population, many Haitians often do not know how to deal with the risk of infection, despite extensive awareness-raising campaigns by the aid organizations what to do in case of infection. They are looking for medical help too late and are themselves a not inconsiderable risk of infection for others. Because the serious, bacterial infectious disease is highly contagious. The pathogens mostly spread through contaminated drinking water or infected food and cause violent diarrhea and vomiting. This can lead to dehydration with considerable loss of electrolyte relatively quickly, which can result in the death of the patient within a short time. If cholera is left untreated, the mortality rate when the disease breaks out is between 20 and 70 percent.

Cholera epidemic - already over 80,000 hospitalizations The experts from the international aid organizations assume that the actual number of dead and sick people is much higher than the Haitian health authorities in Prot-au-Prince have officially stated. Meanwhile, the Haitian population is increasingly opposed to the UN troops stationed there to help. There have been massive protests in the past month because UN troops are accused of introducing cholera in the first place. In view of the allegations, the UN made an effort to clarify and declared that it wanted to refute the allegations. Overall, around 250,000 people lost their lives as a result of the devastating earthquake in Haiti at the beginning of last year, although the numbers could increase dramatically as a result of the massive cholera epidemic. The Cuban news agency Prensa Latina (PL) spoke with reference to a communiqué from the Haitian Ministry of Health that 83,166 residents of the Caribbean state had to be hospitalized by December 26 last year. (fp)

Image: Dieter Schütz / pixelio.de

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