Last week in Doha, on the sidelines of the World Summit on Health Innovation, Sultan Ahmed Al-Aseeri, Country Manager of the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and Jennifer Topping Executive Director of the Office of the United Nations Multi-Stakeholder Trust Fund (MPTF), have signed a Standard Administrative Arrangement for a contribution of $ 1.5 million to reduce the spread of cholera in Haiti.

"This agreement is a completion of the Qatar Fund for Development's mission to empower populations through the promotion of multiple sectors, including health sector, in addition to adopting global leading practices and fostering innovative solutions in the provision of health services," declared Al-Asiri.

"The generous contribution of the Qatar Fund for Development advances significantly the efforts of the UN in Haiti to eradicate cholera. The UN Haiti Multi-Partner Trust Fund today supports a new approach to cholera eradication through halting transmissions, investing in water and sanitation, as well as building community engagement," explained Jennifer Topping.

Note that few international partners have mobilized funds following the call of the UN to intensify the fight against cholera in Haiti. Qatar with this contribution is now the second largest contributor after the Government of the Republic of South Korea.

In addition, on the occasion of a visit by Josette Sheeran, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Haiti, on 16 November, a special meeting of the High Level Committee on Cholera was held at the official residence of the Prime Minister, Jean-Henry Céant, who took the opportunity to present the new National Plan for the Elimination of Cholera in the long term and reiterate the Government's determination to work closely with the international community and its partners to implement implementation of this plan in 2019.

The Government and the United Nations have pledged to intensify the rapid response to outbreaks and to address the root causes of the cholera epidemic, and waterborne diseases in general, by improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation, hygiene and health care and agreed on the opportunity to work on innovative approaches to resource mobilization and to attract foreign direct investment in the water sector, sanitation and health in Haiti.

SL/ HaitiLibre