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Haiti

Health Cluster Bulletin Cholera and Post-Earthquake Response in Haiti - #26

Situation Report
Sources
Posted
Originally published

Highlights

  • The cholera epidemic reached a second peak in late May/early June due to severe rains throughout the country.

  • The alerts and corresponding responses were reported on in separate SitReps (http://haiti.humanitarianresponse.info/Default.aspx?tabid=77).

  • There are currently 48 NGOs actively working in cholera response.

  • There are currently 34 CTCs, 189 CTUs, and 858 ORPs functioning in-country.

  • The cholera epidemic is behaving as expected, having presented earlier in areas with larger populations and currently spreading to smaller rural areas throughout the country.

  • There was a 25% decline in the number of potential new cholera cases at ORPs during the five weeks prior to June 28. International organizations and NGOs continue to respond to localized spikes in new cholera cases with WASH services, such as public health awareness campaigns and distribution of cholera-related WASH commodities.

  • Following torrential rains on 6 and 7 June and subsequent cholera outbreaks, the total bed capacity in the metropolitan area was scaled up from 1, 400 in the beginning of May to 2,500 in June 2011. Since the peak, this number is now down to 1309 as of 13 July.

  • Despite a resurgence of cholera cases due to abundant rains, mortality rates have been declining steadily in all departments.

  • The Department reporting the highest mortality rate is Grande Anse with 203 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. According to MSF-Epicentre data, recent mortality surveys carried out in 2 rural areas (North and Gaspard) and 2 urban areas (Cap-Haitien and Gonaives), demonstrate that densely populated areas and out-of-reach areas have the highest incidence and mortality rates, as these areas have less access to health care than the rest. The case fatality rate remains highest among children and the elderly.

  • Considering the current attack rate of 3.65%, epidemiologic predictions place the number of cases through the end of October at 23,000, of which 12,000 would be hospitalized. The worst case scenario takes into account an attack rate of 5%, and puts the number of expected cases at 130,000 with 69,000 needing hospitalization.

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