Cholera Outbreak Escalates in Haiti Against the Backdrop of Severe Civil Unrest and Violence
Project HOPE has deployed an assessment team to Haiti to support local partners
Washington, DC (21 October 2022) – Project HOPE – the global health and humanitarian aid organization – has deployed teams to Haiti in response to the recent cholera outbreak and an escalation in civil unrest and violence. Project HOPE’s teams are made up of medical, logistics, security, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) experts who are on the ground in Sud Department and Port-au-Prince and in neighboring Santo Domingo. The teams will coordinate with existing partners to assess the needs and develop a response plan aimed at reducing the spread of cholera and addressing humanitarian needs, including health access, food insecurity, and the availability of water.
Haiti’s recent cholera outbreak comes after more than three years of no reported cases, but since the first case was reported on October 2, 2022, there have been 123 confirmed cases, 996 suspected cases, and 37 total deaths. The last cholera outbreak in Haiti resulted in 820,000 cases and 9,792 deaths.
The health crisis has been compounded by a deteriorating socioeconomic, political, and security context, including a blockade of essential humanitarian and civilian supplies into Port-au-Prince. As a result, Haitians are experiencing rampant human rights abuses, food insecurity, fuel shortages, and an interruption to health access – set against the backdrop of worsening impacts of climate change and the threat of natural disasters.
Project HOPE has a longstanding history of response in Haiti. Most recently, Project HOPE aided health facilities and communities in the Sud, Nippes, and Grand’Anse departments over nine months following the earthquakes that occurred in August of 2021, reaching more than 159,000 people with health services, mental health support, pharmaceuticals, and hygiene kits. In 2016, Project HOPE responded to Hurricane Matthew and subsequently helped to establish a cholera treatment center in response to a resulting outbreak. In 2010, Project HOPE responded to the Haiti earthquake, which resulted in a multi-year medical rehabilitation program, including the establishment of the country’s first free, comprehensive rehab and prosthetics facility and the development of a cholera prevention and treatment strategy.
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About Project HOPE
Founded in 1958, Project HOPE is a leading global health and humanitarian organization operating in more than 25 countries around the world. We work side-by-side with local health systems to save lives and improve health. Our mission is at the epicenter of today’s greatest health challenges, including infectious and chronic diseases, disasters and health crises, maternal, neonatal and child health and the policies that impact how health care is delivered. For more information on Project HOPE and its work around the world, visit www.ProjectHOPE.org and follow us on Twitter @ProjectHOPEorg.
