ARTICLE - WELTHUNGERHILFE

HAITI: CHOLERA AID MOVES UP A GEAR. WELTHUNGERHILFE MAKES 500,000 EUROS AVAILABLE
Source: Welthungerhilfe - German Agro Action

Welthungerhilfe is stepping up the help that is providing to fight cholera. This centres on supporting over 1,500 Cuban doctors and nurses who have set up almost 50 medical centres across the country for treating cholera patients. The further spread of the disease means that there is above all a lack of the basic medical equipment that is needed to be able to treat people properly. Welthungerhilfe is supplying drinking water installations for the health centres in order to provide clean drinking water.

In addition, beds, injections and infusion solutions are being supplied. "This unique cooperation between Welthungerhilfe and the Cuban doctors is saving people's lives. We provide the material assistance in a professional manner, and the Cubans bring their medical experience and knowledge to bear. We are therefore complementing each other in the fight against cholera", stresses Federico Mottka, Welthungerhilfe's emergency response coordinator.

At the same time, Welthungerhilfe is expanding its existing preventive efforts at all project locations. In Jacmel in the South of the country, nine schools in rural areas are receiving Chlorox up until February so that they can clean the classrooms, sanitary facilities and water containers each day. 850 families in the same area have received tablets for purifying their water.

In the North, assistance has been provided especially to small-scale farmers and refugees from Port au Prince. 4,000 families have received Chlorox and soap so that they have adequate protection against the bacteria over the next six weeks. In order to also provide help to the government health clinics in the rural areas, 50 cholera Kits have been handed out so that those who have fallen ill can at least get initial supplies there. These contain water canisters, anti-dehydration tablets, bars of soap, water bags and disinfectant tablets.

Wells are being cleaned in parishes in the North East of the country which are particularly at risk so as to prevent the disease spreading any further. In addition, drainage channels are being dug out in order to prevent waste water from flowing into homes.