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http://www.promedmail.org
Archive Number: 20130125.1514856
[2] Cholera – Haiti
Date: Thu 24 Jan 2013
Source: Spanish XinHuaNet [trans. by Mod.MPP, edited]
http://spanish.china.org.cn/international/txt/2013-01/24/content_27784103.htm
As of 15 Jan 2013, the cholera epidemic has infected a total of 639 877 people since it began in Haiti on 19 Oct 2010, according to the most recent balance sheet released today, 24 Jan 2013, by the authorities.
The coordinator of the department created by the Ministry of Public Health and Population to control cholera, Donald Francois, said at a press conference this Wednesday [23 Jan 2013] that 3 departments [provinces] in the country that have the highest number of cases are: Artibonite, South and Southeast.
Francois explained that the disease is primarily affecting now the location of Goyavier, near Saint-Marc, 96 kilometers [60 miles] north of the capital, where 4 people died recently; Coteaux (South), with 10 hospitalized and Versant-Est (Southeast), with 12 infected.
“The situation is better now for the simple reason that people are not dying in the large numbers as earlier, 150 a day” said the health official.
Since its appearance in October 2010 and to through today [24 Jan 2013], 7519 Haitians have died from the disease and more than half a million were infected throughout the country, despite government efforts to contain its advance. The Haitian government announced earlier in January 2013 the hope to eradicate the disease in the next 3 years, beginning with the achievements during 2012 when there was a significant decrease in reported cases in the entire country.
The Minister of Health, Florence Duperval Guillaume, said that the efforts of the local authorities to control the disease has been fruitful, in spite of the scanty financial resources available to the government last year.
Comments: If you are traveling to Cuba, Dominican Republic or Haiti, do consider taking Oral Cholera Vaccine (drops) available at TravelSafe Clinic, India
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