Update from Haiti
Posted on Nov 8, 2010
Assessing Hurricane Tomas' damage PIH/ZL assessment teams visited the following areas of Lower Artibonite on Saturday, November 6: Ti Potno - 100-150 families affected; no injuries, some farm animals killed. Needs: water, food, hygiene kits Drouin - 70 people living in Pentecostal church. 20 houses destroyed, 15 with flood damage. 30 animals dead, 3 cases of cholera at health center. Needs: water food clothing. Dauphin - 50 houses flooded, 5 destroyed, 100 hectares land destroyed. Penyen 1- 100 families people affected some living eglise evangalique lumiere. Water food hygiene kits needed. Oleba, petit desdunes 61 people affected some living at ecole national. Food hygiene kits needed Lakou desdunes - 137 people affected staying and presbyterian school. Food and hygiene kits needed. |
To the great relief of all, Hurricane Tomas passed with less destructive force than had been feared. However, heavy rains greatly exacerbated miserable conditions and heightened cholera risks throughout Haiti.
Partners In Health / Zanmi Lasante (PIH/ZL) staff remained at their posts despite the storm and continued activities in THE Artibonite, THE Central Plateau and Port-au-Prince. This included staffing and support of cholera treatment centers, as well as crucial primary health care, nutrition programs and HIV/TB programs. On November 4 and 5, PIH/ZL community health agents in Port-au-Prince were mobilized to perform education activities regarding the incoming storm.
In Port-au-Prince, living conditions at the camps of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) served by PIH/ZL have deteriorated as a result of the storm. Standing water, mud, lack of garbage collection - in combination with limited sanitation availability and limited uptake of hygiene messaging so far--make the camps a potential flashpoint for cholera outbreak. There is growing concern around 7 suspected cases in Parc Jean-Marie Vincent (PJMV) - where PIH/ZL provides health services—and additional suspected cases in the Cite Soleil section of the city.
In response, PIH/ZL continues to mount preventative outreach efforts while preparing for an outbreak in collaboration with Haiti's Ministry of Health and other partners. These preparations include establishing a cholera stabilization center at PJMV.
Over the weekend, reported cases of cholera continued to expand geographically. More cholera cases continue to appear in Haiti's Central Plateau, with PIH/ZL-supported facilities there reporting 111 cholera cases hospitalized. To address and restrain the spread, training of community agents on cholera continues and a further 153 community health agents were training in Hinche on November 6. We also pleased to report that, with PIH/ZL assistance, a fully functional cholera treatment center opened in Mirebalais today, November 8.
In the Artibonite Valley, the epicenter of the cholera outbreak, PIH/ZL continues to support facilities in St. Marc, Petite Riviere, and Verrettes. Before the storm's arrival, Haiti’s Ministry of Health reported 442 deaths and 6,742 cholera patients hospitalized throughout Haiti’s Lower Artibonite and Central Plateau regions. Hurricane Tomas complicated treatment efforts at these facilities by forcing the evacuation of patients from tents into solid structures. Cholera patients are now being returned to restricted treatment areas and off-site locations for cholera.
The PIH/ZL logistical team is also providing a large volume of support in the form of medical supplies to 16 additional medical centers throughout the Artibonite Valley. As a result of their tremendous efforts, no PIH/ZL supported facility has experienced stock out of the supplies required for cholera treatment.
Amidst this progress the PIH/ZL team remains alert. Reports indicate that rain waters have forced a key hydroelectric dam on the Artibonite River to release pressure, thus sending down a large volume of water. This release will affect communities all along the river in the Central Plateau and Artibonite - namely the areas in the Artibonite that were hit hard by the 2008 storms.
