ARTICLE - AMERICARES - CHOLERA RESPONSE

AMERICARES HAITI FRONTLINE CHOLERA RESPONSE CONTINUES
(Reuters) -

AmeriCares frontline cholera response continues in Haiti amid an alarming rise in cases reported in the northern and western regions of the country. Our Haiti team is working to save as many lives as possible, delivering aid to treat people in immediate need, and supporting programs to prevent the spread of this deadly diarrheal disease.

The most recent AmeriCares shipment included medical aid to help more than 100,000 people:

•Cholera treatment: Doxycycline, catheters, rehydration salts, and gloves to replenish current stocks of supplies.

•Cholera prevention: Soap, sanitizer, buckets, detergent, and other items for community outreach programs that help safeguard against infection and raise awareness about the importance of sanitation.

Cholera is treatable, but without prompt intervention the disease kills quickly; rapid response is especially crucial to saving lives. The disease, caused by bacteria in contaminated water or food, has claimed more than 7,050 lives among the 530,000+ cases reported in Haiti thus far.

Proactive response, lifesaving prevention programs

Advance preparation helped AmeriCares quickly respond to urgent requests for aid. "We've pre-positioned cholera supplies in every corner of the country, stepping up our work for months before the rainy season, when we usually see an uptick in cases," said Brian Hoyer, AmeriCares Haiti Country Director. "At the same time, we've kept our warehouse well-stocked with IV fluids, IV sets, rehydration salts, antibiotics, gloves, disinfectant and other crucial supplies in anticipation of emergency requests."

Controlling a Killer

Since 2010 we have:

•Delivered more than 936,000 cholera treatments

•Supported the training of more than 200,000 people in cholera prevention

Mike Martin, field administrator for the International Faith Missions treatment center, explained how AmeriCares aid has made a lifesaving difference for the people in the impoverished rural village of Fond Parisien. “At least 85 percent of the supplies we’ve used since we opened in 2010 have been from AmeriCares,” he said. “To date, 99 percent of the 6,500 patients treated here have survived. Without treatment, at least half would have died.”

In addition to emergency shipments of supplies, AmeriCares works with the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and other partners to build defenses against the disease, by establishing rehydration posts and supporting the training of more than 200,000 people in cholera prevention.

Our in-country presence, quick response and proven ability to deliver large volumes of supplies has positioned AmeriCares Haiti as one of a handful of organizations effectively meeting national needs during the ongoing cholera crisis. Since October, 2010, we’ve sent more than $5 million in cholera aid to Haiti, working with dozens of partners to help drive mortality rates from nearly 7 percent at the onset to 1.3 percent at present.

Saving lives, one at a time:

Izmaelda: Our field team visited cholera treatment centers throughout Haiti, meeting patients like baby Izmaelda who was rushed to a center as soon as she showed the first signs of infection. Since little Izmaelda received treatment early, she is expected to survive and recover completely.

Medgine: When Medgine became ill, she went to Hopital Espoir – a small facility near the temporary settlement where she lives with her family of 10. This free clinic would have closed long ago without funding and supplies from AmeriCares. Medgine was treated with IV fluids and recovered. Since we began supporting the clinic, more than 275 cholera patients have been treated and all have survived.