NPR talks to PIH's Dr. Louise Ivers about Haiti's cholera epidemic

Just one year after the cholera epidemic emerged in Haiti, nearly half a million Haitians have contracted the disease and more than 6,600 have died.

On October 24, Michel Martin – host of NPR’s “Tell Me More” – explored what cholera is, and how Haiti's government is making new efforts to tackle the crisis. She spoke with Partners In Health’s Dr. Louise Ivers, who is heading up PIH’s cholera vaccination project in Haiti, and Miami Herald’s Jacqueline Charles.

“Once the bacteria is introduced into an environment, there is a high risk of contagion moving from person to person,” says Dr. Ivers. This is especially true in a country with a fragile health system and inadequate water and sanitation systems.

People are cut off by Haiti’s landscape, often living 2-3 hours from the nearest medical facility, with spotty cell phone service – a deadly combination when the disease that can kill in as little as 12-24 hours. For Haitians living in the settlement camps scattered throughout Port-au-Prince and across the rural countryside, little has been done to reduce the risk of infection in the past year.

Learn why PIH has decided to introduce a vaccination now, and what it means for cholera in Haiti.

Learn more about PIH’s cholera response.