EFE:
Geneva.- The cholera epidemic declared in early October in Haiti has already caused 283 deaths in the Caribbean country, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.
Suspected cases amounted to 13,672 as of December 6, of which 1,193 were confirmed, according to data from the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population, released by the WHO.
86% of infected people required hospital treatment and the mortality rate is 2.05%.
The ten regions of Haiti have reported cases of cholera in the last two months, with the West department having the highest number of infections, 12,112 (89% of the total).
To alleviate the impact of the epidemic, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) today provided Haiti with 1.17 million doses of the Evichol vaccine against the disease.
In addition, a new shipment with 500,000 units of this vaccine should arrive in the country in the coming weeks.
The vaccination campaign in the country will begin in the coming days, when it starts to apply to all the population over the age of one in the worst-affected areas, including the Ouest department and the capital, Port-au-Prince, according to the APHO .
WHO recommends vaccinating the entire population and has called for extreme hygiene measures to prevent infection.
Haiti identified no new cholera cases between January 2019 and October 2022, while an epidemic that started in 2010 spanned nearly a decade, causing nearly 820,000 cases and 9,792 deaths.
Cholera is an infection caused by a bacterium that inhabits contaminated water and food, and while most cases do not develop very serious symptoms, the disease can cause vomiting and diarrhea leading to dehydration in patients.
