Cholera numbers remain high after surging in June

	In Verrettes, PIH/ZL cared for nearly one thousand cholera patients in July.

	Children with cholera receive care at a dedicated treatment center in Mirebalais.

	A staff member distributes oral rehydration salts to community members.

	At each of our 15 cholera treatment centers and units staff clean the floor with bleach multiple times a day.

Cases of cholera infections in Haiti remained high in July as the rainy season continues to spread the waterborne disease. The most recent numbers show that people treated in PIH/ZL clinics have declined slightly from 14,425 in June to 12,629 in July, but are still nearly triple the 3,932 cases reported in April. This comes as the Haiti's Ministry of Health announced over the weekend that the overall death toll from cholera is steadily approaching 6,000.

Tropical Storm Emily soaked Haiti’s southern peninsula on August 4th causing some flooding on the coast and in and around Port-au-Prince. PIH/ZL tents in the capital city suffered minor damage, but none of our sites in the Central Plateau or Lower Artibonite were affected. PIH/ZL is ready for the hurricane season with a full operational stock and a contingency container of hurricane modules. 

Haiti’s rainy season exacerbates the cholera situation, while stressing and disrupting the country’s woefully inadequate water and sewage systems. 

Of the 12,390 cholera cases treated at PIH/ZL facilities in July, 29 patients died. It is difficult to track the number of Haitians who perish either in their communities or en route to seek treatment at a PIH/ZL facility.

In response to the cholera crisis, PIH/ZL staff continues to build latrines, train hygiene agents, and distribute soap, bleach and water-purification tablets. Additionally, staff continues to conduct research to determine the best treatment practices moving forward.

PIH/ZL caseloads are consistent with those found throughout Haiti. On August 14, Haiti’s Ministry of Health reported that cholera fatalities rose to just short of 6,000 as of July 31. More than 420,000 Haitians have been infected since the outbreak started in October; 600 new cases are registered daily.

Read more about PIH/ZL’s response to the cholera crisis.