Haiti's progress in achieving its 10-year plan to eliminate cholera: hidden sickness cannot be cured

• DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s75919
• Publication Date: 2016-05-25T03:02:10Z
• Authors: Louise Ivers; Victoria Koski-Ka...; Paul E Farmer; Benito Isaac; Elizabeth Campa; Loune Viaud; Ralph Ternier; Paul C Namphy
• Keywords: Cholera

Since the beginning of cholera epidemic in Haiti 5 years ago, prevalence this deadly water-borne disease has fallen far below initial rates registered during its explosive outset. However, continues to cause extensive suffering and needless deaths across country, particularly among poor. The urgent need eliminate transmission persists: compared same period 2014, first 4 months 2015 saw three times number cases. Drawing upon epidemiology, clinical work (and knowledge), policy, ecology, political economy, informed by ethnographic data collected a rural area called Bocozel, paper evaluates progress nation's 10-year Plan for Elimination Cholera. Bocozel is rice-producing region where most people live extreme poverty. irrigation network decrepit, land prone environmental shocks, fertilizer not affordable, government's capacity assist farmers undermined resource constraints. When peasants do have rice sell, price domestically grown twice that US-imported rice. Canal water only used irrigate thousands acres paddies sustain livestock, but also bathe, wash, play, while from wells, hand pumps, river drinking, cooking, bathing. Only one out government-sponsored treatment stations research still functional utilized those who can afford it. Latrines are scarce often shared up 30 people; open defecation remains common. Structural vulnerabilities cut all sectors - just water, sanitation, health care, education, agriculture, environment, (global local) commerce, transportation, governance as well. These hidden sicknesses impede partners' cholera.