On Tuesday, December 12, with the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Haiti received approximately 1.17 million doses of oral cholera vaccine as cases in the country continue to rise https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38355-haiti-cholera-daily-bulletin-63.html

"Haiti has experience managing cholera, but the fragile security situation has slowed response efforts, so these vaccines are welcome news," said PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne.

The vaccine (Euvichol®) was provided at the request of the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) of Haiti by the International Vaccine Supply Coordination Group, which manages the global reserve of vaccines against cholera.

"Vaccination is an additional strategy to help slow transmission," said Dr. Maureen Birmingham, PAHO/WHO Representative in Haiti.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of the oral vaccine in combination with other measures, particularly water, sanitation and hygiene interventions, to prevent the spread of waterborne disease.

The vaccination campaign in Haiti will begin in the coming days and will initially target the population over the age of one year in Cité Soleil, Delmas, Tabarre, Carrefour and Port-au-Prince, in the West department, and Mirebalais, in the Center department, areas with the highest number of cholera cases to date.

PAHO will provide technical and financial assistance to the Ministry of Public Health to launch the vaccination campaign, which includes training of health workers, advice to identify priority communities and potential obstacles, deployment of management tools registry and risk communication and community engagement activities to encourage vaccination.

"The arrival of oral vaccines in Haiti is a step in the right direction," said Lauré Adrien, Director General of the Ministry, "We are integrating this tool into our national strategy, which includes surveillance, water and sanitation, social mobilization and treatment [...] We hope that this first shipment will be followed by others so that the vaccine is available to all at-risk populations in Haiti."

An additional batch of approximately 500,000 doses should arrive in Haiti in the coming weeks.

To date, PAHO has provided more than 49 tons of essential medical supplies to support cholera treatment centers established by national authorities and their partners in the most affected areas. Materials include oral rehydration salts, lactated Ringer's solution and infusion sets, beds for cholera patients, as well as non-medical supplies such as fuel to support operations and water supplies, sanitation and hygiene.

PAHO is also helping the government set up rapid response teams across the country to follow up on alerts, sensitize communities on preventive measures, and address water, sanitation, and hygiene issues.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38355-haiti-cholera-daily-bulletin-63.html

HL/ HaitiLibre