Martin Nesirky, the official spokesman of the United Nations announced yesterday that the team of experts appointed by the United Nations to investigate on the source of the cholera epidemic, which began Oct. 19, 2010 in Haiti, will arrive Sunday at Port-au-Prince.

Since its beginning, the origin of this epidemic raises sharp polemics within the population who accuses a group of Nepalese soldiers of Minustah to have polluted the waters of the Artibonite River. In early January, Ban Ki-moon had underlined there are several theories on the origins of the cholera outbreak in Haiti and that all reports don't have reached the same conclusion. He then recalled that the Minustah and the Haitian Government had carried out many tests, all of which were negative. But he also acknowledged that it "remain fair questions and legitimate concerns that demands the best answer that science can provide."

In order to answer to these "legitimate concerns" a team of professionals of international renown was established in consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations that helped identify the best experts in public health, epidemiology , microbiology, health and water issues.

This team of independent experts, is led by Dr. Alejandro Cravioto of Mexico, from the International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh. The other three members are Claudio Lanata of the Instituto de Investigacion Nutritional in Peru, Daniele Lantagne of Harvard University in the United States, and Balakrish Nair of the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in India.

Martin Nesirky clarified that the experts should submit a report to the Secretary General and the Government of Haiti in March 2011.

Last cholera assessment : since the beginning of the cholera epidemic in Haiti (October 19, 2010), 220.784 people were infected and treated, 121.397 people were hospitalized and 4.334 people died. According to the latest report from the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), dated of February 2, 2011.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2056-haiti-cholera-epidemic-un-appoints-four-experts-responsible-for-the-investigation.html

PI/ HaitiLibre