The Choolera Outbreak In Haiti

The Big Truck That Went By: How the World Came to Save Haiti and Left Behind a Disaster is an inside look into the realities behind international aid and intervention. The book answers the question of whether or not international efforts in Haiti really benefited the nation in the long term. The book argues that the international community failed in their efforts to rebuild Haiti due to their mismatched military approaches, failed monetary pledges and how the how billions of dollars were ineffective, having served only short term needs instead of, rebuilding solid foundations and institutions that would serve as the first step toward sustainable development.

“Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and, therefore, a basic human right. Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people. It is an affront to human dignity.” — Kofi Annan, prior United Nations Secretary-General

Out of all nations that publish water sanitation statistics, Haiti is the only country in which there are more individuals today without clean water than there were over twenty years ago (Gelting, Bliss, Patrick, Lockhart, & Handzel, 2013, p. 665). This is largely due to the water crisis occurring in Haiti over the last century. Haiti’s struggles can be derived from the nation’s inability to withstand and recover from natural disasters, economic instability, societal wealth discrepancy, and a cholera outbreak. These differing facets can all be analyzed through the natural, social, and political perspectives in order to demonstrate the severity of the Haitian water crisis, the failure of current attempts at resolution, and the need for further

Compounding this lack of care, Haitians also lack clean drinking water and proper sanitation systems. Less than half the population has access to clean drinking water, a rate that is only surpassed by civil war-torn African nations. Even worse, half the population of Haiti can be categorized as “food insecure,” and this malnutrition has created a generation where half of all Haitian children are undersized (IFRC, 2010). In addition, this poor sanitation and hygiene, coupled with inadequate nutrition, have contributed to exceptionally high levels of individuals with chronic, yet often at best ill-treated, conditions.

Paul Farmer says that the “Haitian AIDS epidemic…[is] best understood by taking the long view” (152). What he means by this is that you must look at the whole picture, you have to go beyond the surface to understand how and why it became an epidemic. You must at least be familiar with the Haitians history to understand their response to the epidemic, and how it spread all over Haiti.

The earthquake of 2010 altered the way the people of Haiti looked at everyday life, as well as, it caused them to be deprived of all hope on creating a new beginning. On Tuesday January 12, 2010, the Haitian society knew that their world would never be the same. Having killed over 300,000 people and wounded more than 200,000 people, the magnitude 7.0 earthquake was demoralizing to the Haitians (“The 2010 Haiti Earthquake”). To make matters worse, following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake there were twelve aftershocks containing a magnitude larger than 5.0 (“Earthquake in Haiti”). The outcome of the earthquake was devastating to the extent that the minority of people who survived stood on the remains of their churches, grocery stores, and even their own homes. Corporations like Merlin USA and others around the globe are contributing in various ways to help try to rebuild Haiti’s nation. Working to repair Haiti’s demolished society, Merlin tries to bring appropriate health care to all susceptible associations in Haiti (“Haiti”). Strongly, Merlin continues to put in a great effort and they have tended to around 47,986 patients merely in Port-au-Prince (“Haiti”). Sorrowfully, people are constantly dying from Cholera in Haiti; nevertheless, it seems to them that nothing the world can offer will be able to cure the adversity they have encountered.

The year is 1849 and so far I have discovered several things about the cholera outbreak in London. My colleagues assume that the cause of cholera is caused by poison carried in the air that results from decaying matter (Fairbanks and Candelaria 10). However, I disagree with my colleagues in their belief of the miasma theory (Mckenzie 13). I have constructed a theory that the disease is spread by person-to-person contact and the material causing the cholera, must be in fact, swallowed and introduced into the alimentary canal (Fairbanks and Candelaria 10). My experience with the disease shows that not everyone who treats a sick person becomes sick, and others get sick even with the absence of a sick person in close proximity (Fairbanks and Candelaria 10). I have found that physicians who practice superior cleanliness do not get cholera. Cholera outbreak also seems to be worse among working class people, poor cleanliness seems to be what contributes to the spread of the disease (Fairbanks and Candelaria 10). The sanitary conditions of the city are not well by any means. The city is overcrowded, streets were unpaved, filthy, and heaped with trash and garbage (McKenzie 11). Most people get their drinking water from a water pump that is in close proximity to their house.

The United Nations has claimed some responsibility for bringing about the epidemic as cases of cholera started appearing near the camp of Nepalese UN peacekeepers, almost immediately after their arrival to aid in the aftermath of the earthquake (Piarroux). These reports have caused political and social upheaval as many protested the presence of the UN and the Nepalese in Haiti and demanded they pay reparations for the damage that has been caused (Cholera in Haiti). The UN has been reluctant to concede to these demands since it would open the door for other countries to sue the United Nations so Haiti was forced to fund disaster relief themselves, for the most part, which is devastating for a country of low socioeconomic

A week after Hurricane Matthew, a storm that struck on October third that killed hundreds of people and forced thousands from their homes, the relief effort is finally gaining steam in Haiti, with the flow of food and medicine increasing to cities that will serve as hubs for desperate outlying villages. As Hurricane Matthew passes, Haitians are struggling with Cholera, an infectious disease that can be deadly and is transmitted through contaminated water or food and that's not the end of their problems. Haiti is in a long political crisis and during this national emergency the government has failed to act accordingly instead depending on foreign donors. Haiti still haven't finished their election, which is predicted to start again soon to have a stable leader in this time of need instead

On January 12, 2010 on of the world’s deadliest earthquakes struck Haiti. In his book, Humanitarian Aftershocks in Haiti, Mark Schuller analyzes the presence of humanitarian aid agencies following the disaster. He discusses the impacts the aid had on the environment, development and globalization of Haiti.

Haiti has always been one of the more poverty stricken countries in the world. The reason Haiti has been put in the positon of being one of the poorest, hunger stricken countries in the western hemisphere is because of the long history of political corruption, a very large population in small area, lack of literacy throughout the nation, and their economy (Corbett, Bob. 1986). These are the some of the reasons of why they have not been able to thrive as a country and have been stuck in misery and hunger. Also, some of the most recent national disasters that have hit Haiti have made it hard for the country rebound.

After US occupation, the Haitian government was in a state of unrest with political oppression, violence, and several coups. The UN began bringing in peacekeepers to help improve the political situation in 1994 and today the Republic of Haiti has its own functioning government, with President Michel Martelly at the head (Krasnoff 2013). Since the slave revolution that led to the country’s independence over 200 years ago, Haiti has remained deep in debt; it wasn’t until 20 years ago that there was a fully functional government, which to this day still has its fair share of corruption. With all this in mind, it’s no wonder that Haiti has been hit hard by many disasters, including the outbreak of cholera (Krasnoff, 2013). The country does not have the money to help provide treatment for those infected, sanitation, and clean drinking water outside of the main cities where many of its citizens live. The young government has not yet been able to organize a system to help its

In a blog post written by Sokari Ekine, the Nigerian social justice activist explains that cholera is an illness “exacerbated by heavy rains; poor sanitation; and limited clean water and associated poor hygiene” (Ekine, 2013). These components factor largely into the chosen intervention activities. Haiti is an island that experiences significant flooding due to its location in the hurricane belt; this flooding makes access to safe water a major issue in a nation with flimsy infrastructure (World Health Organization, 2011). This program plans to restore and improve water and sanitation facilities for they are the main mode of transmission for the cholera bacterium. The corresponding poor hygiene that stems from lack of safe water and sanitation will be addressed in the health education provided for community members.

In January of 2010, Haiti endured a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0. About 9 months following the disaster, an epidemic of cholera arose causing up to 800,000 cases and close to 9,000 deaths. Cholera is a digestive infection that can causes excessive diarrhea and dehydration; severely infected individual can die within hours. This is the setting for Ralph Frerichs’ novel Deadly River, a narrative story about how an epidemiologist used a scientific approach to battle the elimination of this deadly disease and to coincide with conflicts between political infrastructures. In the early risings of the cholera epidemic, the Haitian government requested epidemiologist, Renaud Piarroux, to solve the roots of this tragic disease.

Over the past several years, Haiti a country in North America has been in turmoil and in desperate need, of economic improvement. This is due in large part to the country’s problems dealing with diseases, disasters, extreme poverty, and health and sanitation issues. Theses issues have led to the country dealing with increased morbidity and mortality rates, decreased life expectancies, major health issues, and death. In an effort to help the country of Haiti, programs and policies have been implemented to aid the country in recapturing its ability to prosper.