Better Healthcare in Times of Cholera

Tireless efforts were doubled down to successfully tackle the cholera epidemic in Haiti, despite natural disasters hitting the Caribbean hamlet, and all the hard work paid off since the deadly disease is now under control.

Through the National Plan for the Elimination of Cholera project which was implanted between 2013 and 2020, basic health infrastructure has been upgraded, better healthcare services have been offered to pregnant women and children alike, and the robust cholera system surveillance have made impressive achievements.

Thanks to the restoration of 46 healthcare facilities, more than 1.5 million people now have access to treatments, including vaccination for more than 300,000 children. The improvement of water and sanitation in more than 140 facilities contributed to helping in the fight against cholera. From 2012 to 2019, the minimum quality score went from 0% to 93%, and the vaccination rate of children under 12 months increased by 51%. In three years, the percentage of children – 6 to 59 months – receiving nutritional screening and follow-up increased by 55%. Cholera alerts and outbreaks investigated within 48 hours went from 7% in 2015 to 100% in 2019. Adequate stock of cholera supplies also reached a 100% increase in facilities affected by Hurricane Matthew. Consequently, the cholera fatality rate dropped from 0.89% to 0% from 2015 to 2019, and no cases have been reported since January 2019, clear proof that the epidemic is under control.