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The cholera outbreak in Haiti began in October 2010. It has affected an estimated 788,000 people and claimed the lives of over 9,200 people. Concerted national and international efforts since then have resulted in a 90 per cent reduction in the number of suspected cases.
This number remains high, however, and recent outbreaks show the continued vulnerability of the population to the disease, which is preventable and treatable. The aim of the Government and its partners is to eliminate cholera transmission from Haiti by 2022. The United Nations is supporting these efforts.
The elimination of cholera in Haiti requires both rapid response to ongoing outbreaks and long-term actions to improve water and sanitation. This requires support for national capacities and sustained and sufficient financial resources.
Cholera Response
The United Nations, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, bilateral donors and NGOs are assisting the Government and people of Haiti to tackle the cholera epidemic and to address the larger issue of water borne diseases by ensuring clean water and sanitation for all.
In December 2010, the Secretary-General commissioned an Independent Experts report to look at the origins of the outbreak. In May 2011, the report provided recommendations on actions needed by the UN, the Government and the international community to prevent future outbreaks and the spread of cholera. The High Level Committee on Cholera, set up by the Secretary-General and the Prime Minister of Haiti in 2014, and jointly chaired by the Government of Haiti and the UN, regularly reviews the implementation of the National Cholera Elimination Plan.
The United Nations has been working on three fronts since 2010, aligned with the National Cholera Elimination Plan, to support national efforts to eliminate cholera and to improve water and sanitation.
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The UN supports the emergency response to ensure that health teams respond within 48 hours to new cases of cholera. With immediate treatment and action, transmission of cholera and deaths can be prevented.
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The UN is providing vaccines against cholera. Some 118,000 people have already received vaccinations in 2016 and a further 400,000 people will be vaccinated. An even larger vaccination campaign is under consideration for 2017 and future years.
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The UN is working with the Government and communities to improve access to water and sanitation. Haiti has the worst rates of access to water and sanitation in the Western Hemisphere, with currently only a quarter of the population having access to decent toilets, and half the population having access to safe water.
Funding
Between 2010 and May 2016, the UN family in Haiti has mobilized resources to implement more than 290 initiatives both for immediate treatment of cholera cases and to improve water and sanitation.
In addition, the UN has supported the Haitian Government to mobilize $307 million in funding for the National Plan against Cholera 2013-2022 to address the root causes of the cholera epidemic and of all water borne diseases. The National Plan for Cholera Elimination is costed at $2.2 billion of which currently 23.7 per cent is funded.
The total amount the UN requires for rapid response in 2016 is $ 20.3 million (as per the Humanitarian Response Plan). To date, approximately 43 per cent has been mobilized from several donors. Further support will be needed to sustain efforts and meet urgent needs.
In order to continue and scale up the rapid response for the second half of 2016, some $5 million is urgently needed for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Health components following the May-June upsurge; more funds will be required to continue the response in 2017. Without this, the rapid response mechanism will have to stop by October. For the period 2017-2022, estimated annual costs to ensure rapid response to cholera outbreaks is estimated at $8 to $10 million annually.
To complete the second phase of the planned vaccination programme in 2016 will require almost $1 million in funding. In addition, the global stockpile of cholera vaccines needs to be significantly augmented. To be fully effective, vaccination programmes need to be accompanied by water and sanitation interventions in the same area.