Cholera outbreak in Haiti could claim more lives than January earthquake

Haitians clear water from their home after Hurricane Tomas. The Hurricane has contributed to a spike in the number of cases of cholera.

SOME 7.5 million people living in rural Haiti are at high risk or contracting cholera if no significant action is taken.

It is estimated that as many people who were killed by the January 12 earthquake could be sickened by the disease in the coming months.

The NGO has said that people living in isolated areas without services are under threat from the disease which has already claimed hundreds of lives across the country.

Jim Emerson, Country Director of Plan in Haiti said that there is a need to mobilise a large humanitarian response quickly, since "rural areas hinder access to the kind of medical care and health services that could easily save thousands of lives."

We have called upon the UN and government to step in and support the efforts of NGOs in combating cholera and not neglect the majority of people living outside the capital. Children are especially vulnerable to the rapid dehydration associated with the highly preventable and treatable disease.

"With aggressive bacteria such as cholera, time is of the essence. Without treatment, death can come in a matter of three hours," said Emerson. "Which is why Plan is focusing on widespread education programmes that teach people how not to get sick in the first place."

More than 900 people are confirmed to have died from the disease to date with some 14,600 confirmed cases across the country. Hurricane Tomas brushed the west coast of Haiti earlier this month and contributed to a spike in the number of cases.

We are working with youth and their families in rural communities to help educate them about the importance of good hygiene and drinking safe water. They are taught the signs and symptoms of cholera and what to do in case it strikes. We have also run hygiene awareness programs in over 260 schools.

Emergency health centres have been set up to care for the infected and aid packages containing soap, water purification tablets, electrolytes and small treatment kits have been distributed to families. We have around 376,000 units of life-saving oral re-hydration salts on hand for distribution, which will benefit over 32,100 large families.

Find out more about Plan's work in Haiti.