ReliefWeb

After more than 3 years with no cases of cholera reported in Haiti, on 2 October 2022, the national authorities reported two confirmed cases of Vibrio cholerae O1 in the greater Port-au-Prince area. In addition, as of 2 October 2022, clusters of suspected cases and deaths are under investigation in various communes of Ouest Department, including the communes of Cité Soleil and Port-au-Prince. The Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) recommends that Member States strengthen their surveillance systems for the timely detection of cholera cases and for outbreaks of acute diarrheal disease, and to update their preparedness and response plans. In addition, PAHO/WHO reiterates to Member States to continue their efforts and reinforce actions to improve water and sanitation quality and conditions.

Situation summary

Between October 2010 and February 2019, over 820,000 cases of cholera, including nearly 10,000 deaths, were reported in Haiti. Since then, the Haiti Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP, per its acronym in French) has ensured the monitoring of the epidemiological situation, including laboratory surveillance by the National Public health laboratory (LNSP, per its acronym in French). During this period, all suspected cases of cholera detected through the national epidemiological surveillance system were discarded following laboratory testing.

During epidemiological week (EW) 39 of 2022, healthcare facilities located in some sectors of the communes of Port-au-Prince and Cité Soleil reported an increase in cases of severe acute diarrhea among hospitalized patients, including both children and adults. As of 2 October 2022, more than 20 suspected cases of cholera, including 7 fatalities, preceding from these areas were detected by healthcare personnel. On 2 October 2022, two cases were confirmed as Vibrio cholerae O1 among the samples tested by the LNSP. Toxigenicity and genomics testing are pending.

As gang violence continues affected Port-au-Prince and other cities, access to the affected areas is difficult; therefore, the timely assessment of the epidemiological situation is complex. Additionally, the shipment of biological samples from healthcare facilities to reference laboratories could also be affected by fuel shortages.

Furthermore, in the context of a security crisis, the population of these areas may have very limited access to safe water and health services. These factors would have an impact on the dynamics of the cholera resurgence and on the severity of the disease in patients with acute diarrhea.

The Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO) is working in coordination with the Haitian public health authorities to characterize this event and support the response.