Cholera in Haiti

We have talked about the situation in Haiti a little in class but I wanted to expand on it a little more. In January 2010 Haiti suffered a major earthquake resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. Estimates currently place the number at over 200,000. In October 2010 the first case of cholera in Haiti occurred with an outbreak being determined on October 22, the first one in over a century¹. Cholera is a bacterial infection that causes diarrhea that can lead to severe dehydration and even death². Water that is contaminated by feces of an infected person or food that comes in contact with contaminate water can pass the bacteria on².

I came across the article "UN caused deadly cholera in Haiti, covered it up, lawsuit says" recently³ and it points out some interesting things about international aid and how good intentions can have unfortunate consequences.  UN Peacekeepers from Nepal (where cholera is endemic) were sent to Haiti after the devastating earthquake. There is evidence to suggest that these UN workers introduce cholera into the country. They were stationed near a tributary of the Artibonite River which is a source of drinking water. There were reports of leaking sewage pipes from this camp draining into the river³. According to the CDC there were 470,000 cases of cholera with 6,631 deaths in Haiti one year after cholera was introduced. Current numbers (October 2013) are estimated to be 684,085 cases and 8,361 deaths².

The families of those who lost loved ones to cholera are suing the UN for introducing Cholera that led to the death of thousands. What I had not realized was that the UN reportedly has immunity to such claims. I am not sure what I think of the organization having this wide reaching immunity. I think it is the responsibility of the organization to make sure they are not making an already bad situation worse.  While the UN has settled claims in the past, it remains to be seen what little or any compensation the families may receive³.

What is most important is the battle against Cholera itself. While there is a strong push to combat Cholera through vaccinations and chlorine treatment of water, proper sanitation and waste management is needed to stop the spread. It is estimated that costs to improve the sanitation is estimated to be between $746 million to $1.1 billion^4,5. Including the cost of improved sanitation, the Ministry in Haiti estimates it will take approximately $2.2 billion to completely eradicate Cholera from Haiti. UN will contribute $23.5 million which turns out to be only about 1% of what is needed⁵.

The situation in Haiti shows how even with good intentions international help can make things worse especially if new diseases are introduced. The little media that has focused on this situation feels to me like the UN wanted as little attention drawn to it as possible. Even if it cannot be proven in a court of law that the UN was responsible for the outbreak, I would think they would still want to do more to help eradicate it. Not only would providing more support for sanitation improvements help eradicate Cholera but it can also help with other waterborne illnesses⁴.   

1.Center for Disease Control, (2011). Cholera in haiti: One year later. Retrieved from website: http://www.cdc.gov/haiticholera/haiti_cholera.htm

2. Center for Disease Control, Travelers' Health. (2010).Cholera in haiti. Retrieved from website: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/haiti-cholera

3. Schectera, A. (2013, October 08). UN caused deadly cholera in haiti, covered it up, lawsuit says. NBC news investigations, Retrieved from http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/08/20874045-un-caused-deadly-cholera-in-haiti-covered-it-up-lawsuit-says?lite

4. Periago, M. R., Frieden, T. R., Tappero, J. W., De Cock, K. M., Aasen, B., & Andrus, J. K. (2012). Elimination of cholera transmission in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Lancet, 379(9812), e12-e13.

5. Adams, P. (2013). Cholera in Haiti takes a turn for the worse. The Lancet,381(9874), 1264.