ARTICLE - POHDH - ORAL CHOLERA VACCINE

POHDH POSITION OF THE ORAL VACCINE AGAINST CHOLERA
(Haiti Libre) -

The Platform of Haitian Human Rights Organizations (POHDH) stated that since the appearance of cholera in Haiti 14 months ago, over 500,000 cases of infection were detected and over 7,000 Haitians died. The medical claims that cholera will be present for a long term, even permanent basis in the Haitian environment, has envisaged to reinforce and extend preventive measures, including vaccination options to fight against the epidemic.

The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) will work with an NGO that plans to begin in January 2012 to administer the oral vaccine Shanchol of the company Shantha Sanofi Aventis. This vaccine would aim to treat, at first 100,000 people in the urban area of ​​the capital and in a rural community in the Central Plateau.

POHDH invites the Ministry of Public Health and Population to consult the National Ethics Committee and the Civil Code, the Penal Code and the Act on health services, among others, as part of the execution of the project of oral cholera vaccination. The National Ethics Committee will thus have to ensure a triple assessment of this research project, scientific, ethical and at the level of proper funding, and that, before authorizing its implementation.

According to the estimates, 20 million doses would be necessary to vaccinate the entire population of Haiti [2 doses are needed per person],...., the vaccines only would cost at least $32 million plus logistics costs and human resources [that exceed the cost of vaccines] knowing that this relative protection is only effective for 2 years and that vaccination should be renewed indefinitely...

POHDH believes that if the Government had a financial choice to make, it would be better to invest this money in a sustainable improvement of access to drinking water, sanitation and the general conditions of the health of the Haitian population.

Also, it would be very useful to target those who have no access to medical facilities or preventive measures in order to have a significant impact. Indeed, in urban areas, it is easier to treat the sick, distributing clean water and soap and disseminate appropriate information. By cons, it is much more complex and complicated to do the same in mountainous areas and in rural areas.