Cholera Outbreak In Haiti

As a result of citizen upheaval throughout Haiti over the past several weeks, multiple cases of cholera have been reported for the first time in three years. Read more to find out how the outbreak alludes to further consequences of this unrest, and how the nation and allies have taken to responding.

Amidst the chaos erupting on this island nation as a result of its calamitous economic infrastructure, widespread gang violence, and political unrest, there has arisen a new and possibly even more detrimental problem; a cholera outbreak. Unfortunately, such an occurrence is far from surprising, rather, it is predictable based on the current circumstances in Haiti. For weeks on end, the country has been at standstill due to citizen protests of inadequate living conditions, lack of access to food and clean water, and other systemically induced maltreatments. Cholera is a kind of disease that orignates and spreads in water, and consequently has the ability to infiltrate the body and infect it with ease. Haiti has become the perfect breeding ground for such a deadly virus due to the neglect of the sanitation and public health since the protests have taken precedence over the past several weeks. This disease, which causes virulent excretion, has the capacity to be fatal if not treated within a few hours of onset. This happens when an individual does not have access to proper hydration and fluids in order to support the recovery process of what could be treatable symptoms. According to an article published by UNICEF, “‘With rising violence and insecurity, many of the poorest Haitian families have no option but to drink and use unsafe water,’ said Bruno Maes, a UNICEF Representative in Haiti'' (UNICEF). This statement sheds an insightful, but equally disconcerting, light on the future of Haiti and its state of public health. As relayed by an article published by CNN on Wednesday evening, this infection has killed a documented 8 individuals and 68 other positive cases have been reported, along with countless others that hav yet to be further investigated. The majority of these cases have arisen in the capital of the nation, Port Au Prince, and aligns closely with the apprehensive warning expressed by UNICEF and other humanitarian organizations. If sanitation facilities, hospitals, and even basic grocery suppliers remain inoperable and inaccessible to the general public, the potential for an outbreak is projected to increase exponentially. At risk are those who are economically destitute, especially the unprotected adolescent population that falls under the poverty line. Government officials have issued statements assuring that all measures are being put in place in order to quell this outbreak and protect the health and safety of the Haitian citizens. Means of foreign aid have been reported, but difficulties in distributing help to the citizens have been ever-present due to extreme fuel shortages, postponing many efforts to rectify the situation. An outsider looking in, it is going to take a strongly holistic approach that individually remedies each of Haiti’s current issues in order to resolve what is quickly morphing into another public health crisis.

Resource: “Amidst Insecurity in Haiti, New Cholera Upsurge Puts 1.2 Million Children at Risk.” UNICEF, UNICEF, 4 Oct. 2022, https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/amidst-insecurity-haiti-new-cholera-upsurge-puts-12-million-children-risk

Dupain, Etant, et al. “Cholera Returns to Haiti as Nation Lurches from One Crisis to the Next.” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Oct. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/05/americas/cholera-haiti-intl-latam/index.html

“Cholera.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 2022, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cholera