CECI Haiti: Emergency Relief for Cholera Victims

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Oct. 25 /CNW Telbec/ - An epidemic of the 01 Cholera Strain has been rapidly spreading through eight communes in Haiti's Bas-Artibonite area since October 19. The diagnosis of cholera was confirmed by Haiti's government on October 22, and then by international authorities. While there had previously been no incidence of cholera in Haiti, the current outbreak has already claimed 369 lives, and some 3,000 men, women and children are thought to be affected. People who contract the disease die within 48 hours if they do not receive rapid medical attention. This epidemic, which is the result of inadequate sanitary conditions, must be contained before it reaches Port-au-Prince, where over 1,200,000 people are living confined in camps with only basic sanitation.

Simple and effective measures have already been implemented by CECI in the Artibonite area, where it has distributed 24,000 litres of clean water in 6 of the area's communes. CECI is very involved in health in this region, particularly through the PALIH project, which is being carried out in partnership with the CCISD (Centre de coopération internationale en santé et développement). CECI reacted immediately to implement directives from the Artibonite health directorate and mobilized its partners from area health units so that help could be quickly deployed to the most affected areas.

In the coming hours, we will be distributing oral rehydration solutions to combat dehydration, as well as family emergency kits. These kits supply a family of five people for one week, and contain soap (5 bars per family), oral rehydration salts (10 packets per family), and Aquatab water-purification tablets (8 tablets are needed to purify 40 litres of water, which is the amount needed per family per day). These front-line supplies will be distributed to affected families in the following communes: Desdunes, Verrettes, Desarmes and Lachapelle.

A CECI team is already onsite in the Artibonite area. Its mission is to provide information to the population about sanitary practices, to conduct a baseline study on the existing water-supply points in order to stop the epidemic, and to continue distributing water and emergency kits.

The Artibonite area is the focal point for CECI's activities, which include an emergency project funded by USAID, as part of a broader program that has been in place since the earthquake last January 12.

CECI's interventions receive support from the CCISD and Haiti's ministry of agriculture, natural resources and rural development (MARNDR).

Given a cost of approximately CAN$10 per kit to meet the needs of one family of five, and given that we anticipate supplying nearly 100,000 people during the coming week, the operation will require CAN$200,000. The CECI team needs your help and is asking its members, friends, partners and donors to renew their support for the people of Haiti. Please participate in the UNITING FOR HAITI campaign.

By mail: CECI-UNITING FOR HAITI, 3000 Omer-Lavallée St, Montreal QC, H1Y 3R8
Please make cheque out to: CECI UNITING FOR HAITI
By phone: [phone] or 514-875-9911 Ext. 283

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CECI is involved in projects in 18 countries worldwide, in the areas of humanitarian aid, development and volunteer cooperation. We currently have humanitarian aid projects running in Haiti, Pakistan, Guatemala and the Philippines as well as in the Sahel due to the food crisis in Niger. After responding to the immediate emergency, we implement socio-economic rehabilitation projects and reconstruction projects, and we maintain ongoing development activities that considerably strengthen and accelerate the ability of communities to return to their regular activities.

For further information:

In Port-au-Prince
Esther Labonté
Communication Officer Centre d'étude et de coopération internationale (CECI)
Cell: 509 38 07 74 33    

In Canada
Cindy Savard
Communication Adviser
Centre d'étude et de coopération internationale (CECI) 
Ph: 514-875-9911 Ext. 266  Cell: 514-882-4601