Haiti Cholera Epidemic Caused 250 Deaths

Added by Nigel Shelbourne on October 25, 2010

United Nations (U.N.) official in Haiti, Nigel Fisher stated that multinational medical help has slowed down death reports in Haiti after the cholera epidemic outbreak that already killed 250 people.

Mr. Fisher said that they’re facing a serious epidemic which is likely to widen although everyone hopes it won’t. The cholera epidemic started last week and spread fast.

This epidemic crisis is the second humanitarian crisis for Haiti since the earthquake catastrophe on January 12.

Up until now, over 3,000 cases of cholera were reported as Haiti’s government together with the U.N. and several aid partners have made immense efforts to keep the epidemic for spreading even more.

The cholera epidemic outbreak is suspected to have started in the Artibonite River watershed. Treatment centers for cholera have already been set up in the Port-au-Prince capital and provinces Center and Artibonite, in which patients are isolated.

Gabriel Thimote from the Haitian Health Department stated that the number of deaths has decreased and that there have been less people checked into hospitals in the main critical areas of the outbreak.

Mr. Thimote added that although officially it cannot be confirmed that a peak of the cholera epidemic has been reached, the situation seems to be stabilizing.