With the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Haiti received around 1.17 million doses of oral cholera vaccines on Monday, as cases continue to rise in the Caribbean country.
According to the regional branch of the World Health Organization (OMS), Haiti’s vaccination campaign is due to begin in the coming days. The initial objective is to target people over the age of one in Cité Soleil, Delmas, Tabarre, Carrefour and Port-au-Prince in the Ouest department and in Mirebalais in the Center department – areas where the majority of cholera cases have been reported to date.
“Haiti has a long history of managing cholera, but the fragile political and security situation has slowed response efforts, so this is very good news,” said PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne. noting the contribution of the WHO since the resurgence of cholera.
13,600 suspected cases and 1,193 confirmed cases including more than 280 deaths
WHO intends to work with national authorities to rapidly distribute vaccines, monitor cases and provide life-saving assistance. For Port-au-Prince, the arrival of oral vaccines is “a step in the right direction”. “We are integrating this tool into our national strategy, which includes surveillance, water and sanitation interventions, social mobilization and treatment,” said Dr. Lauré Adrien, Director General of the Haitian Ministry of Health. .
This Caribbean country hopes that this first shipment will be followed by others so that the vaccine is available to all populations at risk in Haiti. On this subject, Dr. Adrien notes that an additional batch of approximately 500,000 doses should arrive in the coming weeks.
This first delivery of vaccines comes as the cholera situation in Haiti has worsened considerably in recent weeks. To date, the Department of Epidemiology, Laboratories and Research (DELR) reports 1,193 confirmed cases and more than 280 deaths from cholera in eight departments, with more than 13,600 suspected cases spread across the country.
“Oral vaccines are an additional weapon in our fight against cholera and can help slow transmission,” argued Dr. Maureen Birmingham, PAHO/WHO Representative in Haiti.
WHO provided more than 49 tons of essential medical supplies
Note that the vaccine (Evichol) was provided by the International Vaccine Supply Coordination Group (ICG), which manages the global stock of cholera vaccines, following a request from the Ministry of Health. public and population of Haiti.
Oral cholera vaccines can help prevent the onset of disease for up to two years in adults and six months in young children.
WHO recommends the use of cholera vaccines in combination with other measures to prevent the spread of waterborne disease, especially water, sanitation and hygiene interventions.
In addition, the Pan American branch of WHO has so far provided more than 49 tons of essential medical supplies to support cholera treatment centers set up by national authorities and partners in the most affected areas. These supplies include oral rehydration salts, anti-cholera beds, as well as other non-medical supplies such as fuel to support operations and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies.
WHO is also supporting the government to set up rapid response teams in the 10 departments to follow up on alerts, sensitize communities on preventive measures and address water, sanitation and hygiene.