Haiti sees decrease in suspected cholera cases
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) – The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) says the number of suspected cholera cases reported in this French-speaking Caribbean country, up to April 8, 2017, has decreased when compared to the same periods in 2015 and 2016.
In its latest report, PAHO says to date 4,871 suspected cholera cases have been reported in Haiti, including 69 deaths. This represents a 60 and 61 per cent decrease compared to the 12,373 and 12,226 suspected cholera cases reported during the same period in 2015 and 2016, respectively.Additional the 69 deaths reported so far this year represents a 41 per cent and 50 per cent decrease when compared to the 116 and 139 deaths reported during the same period in 2015 and 2016, respectively.All ten departments in the country Haiti have reported suspected cholera cases this year. The five departments with the highest rates in descending order are: Centre, Ouest – which includes the capital city of Port-au-Prince),Nippes, Artibonite, and Nord.Since the cholera outbreak began in 2010, October, 800,665 cases have been reported, including 9,480 deaths.According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) the cholera epidemic in Haiti continues to be the largest in the western hemisphere.Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. People with low immunity, such as malnourished children or people living with HIV, are at greater risk of death if infected.