Last Thursday Nyka Alexander, Communications Officer, of the Office of the World Health Organization (WHO / PAHO) in Haiti, who had declared during the weekly press briefing of the Minsutah "I tell you that you can sing, dance, have fun, this is not the way you'll catch cholera. Cholera is spread through contaminated food and water. The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) prepares prevention messages for the carnival. But it is not because there are a lot of people together that the cholera is spreading." Without putting emphasis on the risk of increased spread of disease.

Monday, Fadela Chaib, spokespersons for WHO in Geneva, agreed that the Haitians will be faced an increased risk of transmission of cholera during the carnival season, unless that strict hygiene measures are implemented. What we highlighted in our previous article. "There is a carnival season very soon in Haiti and WHO is working with health authorities to distribute leaflets and health messages. Not because there is a risk of contamination of man to man, but ingestion of contaminated food and water can lead to more cases of cholera"

The WHO now says that the access to sanitation and drinking water will be essential during the carnival period to minimize the risk of cholera transmission...

Last cholera assessment : since the beginning of the cholera epidemic in Haiti (October 19, 2010), 231.070 people were infected and treated, 124.482 people were hospitalized and 4.533 people died. According to the latest report from the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), dated of February 14, 2011.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-2374-haiti-carnival-2011-carnival-cholera-who-seeks-to-reassure.html

PI/ HaitiLibre