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9,000 people died in Haiti’s last cholera outbreak. We must act fast in disaster-affected hotspots to help prevent history repeating itself
Six years ago, as the country attempted to rebuild following a massive earthquake, cholera began spreading in Haiti. And it didn’t stop.
Adults and children – many of whom contracted cholera by drinking untreated water from familiar rivers and streams – lay listless in hospitals packed to capacity with emergency cases. The death toll mounted. The months passed. The cases continued. Stories of pregnant women and tough little girls and boys struggling to survive became the norm and were well recorded by partners on the ground, who were bearing witness to what is now considered the worst cholera outbreak in recent history.
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Hurricane Matthew: Haiti needs vaccines to stop deadly cholera spreading | Dr Anita Zaidi and Helen Matzger
