Cholera Outbreaks in Haiti Worsen

"Cholera Deaths Up in Haiti with Worst to Come"
By: Randal C. Archibold, New York Times
November 14th, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/world/americas/15cholera.html?_r=1&scp=7&sq=cholera&st=cse

This article from the New York Times was written last month about outbreaks of Cholera in different parts of Haiti. There have been many cases of the disease especially since the earthquake, all most likely resulting from the poverty and horrible living conditions existing in the country.

The article goes into detail about how many cases of Cholera have been seen and exactly where they occured; apparantly there have been cases in six out of the ten provinces in Haiti. According to Archibold, the disease hasn't even heightened in other parts of the country and will likely break out in other places before any sort of decline is seen.

Information is also provided on the medical conditions for patients who contract the disease, and a brief description of the hospitals in the country is given. The article also attributes much of the cause of disease in the country to the poverty, lack of sanitation, and poor living conditions that the people living in the region have had to endure since the earthquake. Archibold highlights this by saying, "The rate of severe cases...is far higher in Haiti...because of extreme poverty, unsanitary conditions, and the fact that cholera has not been there for 40 years."

I personally find this information to be terribly disturbing. I've known since the earthquake in Haiti happened that living conditions there have been rough, and as a result sanitation and health in the country have been poor as well. But after learning recently in class that Cholera broke out badly in the 19th century, it seems strange to me that it can still affect and sicken so many people today. It makes me feel horrible that even though there is so much more knowledge and information on how to treat Cholera these days, it is still killing people and still causing so much harm to a country. If only the people living in  Haiti had the money to improve their living conditions, so many deaths could be prevented. We've learned in class that Cholera is so easy to treat (it may not always be effective depending on the severity of the case, but nevertheless it is simple to treat), so why are so many people in Haiti dying? If only they had the money and access to resources that could help them, maybe the death rates from Cholera over there wouldn't be as devastating.

The article did mention some support and aid being provided for sick Haitians, which is soothing. The United Nations, International Organization for Migration, and other organizations are donating money to the country to help them with treatment, sanitation, and medical care. And neighboring countries, such as the Dominican Republic, are restricting trade to make sure that Cholera doesn't spread to their country. It's still horrible to hear about all this devastation in Haiti, but it's comforting to know that steps are being taken to improve conditions.

The article provided this picture of a woman suffering Cholera symptoms.