Jim Yong Kim, World Bank Group (WBG) President, announced a donation of USD 50 million on the eve of the conference to be held this Thursday on the theme "Haiti: Clean water, Improved sanitation, Better health".

This announcement comes ahead of a high-level conference, chaired by Kim, and the Secretary General of United Nations Ban Ki-moon, inviting key stakeholders to join in an effort to significantly improve access to the water and sanitation in Haiti, and strengthen health services.

Diarrhea causes more deaths in children under five than HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined, according to UN figures. New costing analysis conducted by the World Bank and Haiti’s Department of Health and National Department for Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) estimates that US$310 million investment in water, sanitation and health is needed to save lives and prevent cholera in high prevalence zones.

The new US$ 50 million investment will contribute to the implementation of a project that will reach about two million people in cholera hot spots of rural Haiti. All schools and clinics in the communes covered by this initiative would receive priority water and sanitation services.

Haiti’s Ministry of Health already implements US$ 90 million initiative financed by the World Bank which will provide access to adequate health services for 1.8 million mothers and children over the next 5 years as well as the epidemiological surveillance, treatment, including rapid response mobile teams, hygiene and health promotion, and water and sanitation activities.

"This meeting is an opportunity for dedicated partners to address the plan to eliminate Cholera in Haiti and to improve access to clean water and sanitation initiatives. Further we need to assure that the commitments are met and Haiti remains on track to eliminate cholera within its borders," said Haiti’s Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe.

Recall that about 38% of Haitians lack access to safe drinking water, and only 24 percent of Haitian families have access to improved sanitation. Evidence shows that for every dollar invested in water and sanitation, seven dollars are gained in healthcare savings and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-12230-haiti-reconstruction-laurent-lamothe-in-washington-dc.html

HL/ HaitiLibre