Cholera emphasizes need for massive public investment in water and sanitation infrastructure
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (November 22, 2010) – As the cholera epidemic in Haiti continues to spread with lethal speed, CARE International stresses the need for a joint and long-term effort by the Haitian government and international partners to tackle the lack of water infrastructure and poor hygiene standards throughout the country.
According to UN figures from 2008, only 63 percent of the Haitian population have access to safe drinking water and no more than 17 percent benefit from improved sanitation. Combined with the massive destruction of infrastructure and health facilities caused by the Jan. 12 earthquake, these shortages make it particularly hard to contain the spread of the epidemic.
“Right now we are putting all our energy into responding to the cholera outbreak”, says Virginia Ubik, CARE Haiti Country Director. “But in order to prevent future epidemics of this scale, we need a long-term commitment to improve the water, sanitation and health infrastructure in Haiti. And this effort needs to be led by the Haitian government.”
In this context, the international aid organization is counting on fair and peaceful presidential elections on November 28 to ensure the safety of aid workers who will continue to respond to the epidemic during the electoral period. “We are extremely worried about possible limited access to the affected areas during the election week”, says Virginia Ubik. “Security for staff and beneficiaries is our main priority but we cannot afford to shut down our activities completely. There are too many lives at risk.”
In the last days, CARE has been scaling up its response to the cholera outbreak in the hardest-hit areas of Artibonite and the North West and continues to supply clean drinking water to 50,000 people in camps in the earthquake affected towns of Léogâne and Carrefour. So far, CARE has reached 85,000 people with prevention campaigns via local radio stations and draws from a network of over 450 community volunteers in the North West and Artibonite to disseminate messages. CARE continues to provide sanitation services and distributes hygiene items and water treatment chemicals such as aqua tabs and chlorine products. CARE is appealing for US $10 million to scale up the emergency response in the next six months.
For more information or to arrange interviews with staff in Haiti:
Sabine Wilke (in Port-au-Prince): +509 3677 9478, [email protected]
Melanie Brooks (in Geneva): +41 79 590 30 47, [email protected]
Brian Feagans (in Atlanta): +1 404-979-9453, [email protected]
About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is one of the world’s largest humanitarian aid agencies. Working side by side with poor people in 72 countries, CARE helps empower communities to address the greatest threats to their survival. Women are at the heart of CARE’s efforts to improve health, education and economic development because experience shows that a woman’s achievements yield dramatic benefits for her entire family. CARE is also committed to providing lifesaving assistance during times of crisis, and helping rebuild safer, stronger communities afterward.