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HAITI / CHOLERA
STORY: HAITI / CHOLERA
TRT: 2:59
SOURCE: WHO / MINUSTAH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 OCTOBER, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE
RECENT – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Zoom out, WHO logo
22 OCTOBER 2010, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Gregory Hartl, Spokesperson for Epidemic and Pandemic Diseases, World Health Organization:
“It’s very, very difficult to say with any kind of surety how big the impact is. We have seen, of course many reports coming out of Haiti over the last few days. The first reports of WHO was actually on the 15th of October so a week ago. We know of the reports that say that there have been over a thousand cases so they seem to certainly having an impact, a big impact on the area north of Port au Prince. So how big it is, how far it will spread is still really impossible to predict at this point.”
FILE – MINUSTAH - 2 FEBRUARY 2010, PETIONVILLE, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
3. Various shots, IDP camp
4. Med shot, child going to the bathroom next to tents
22 OCTOBER 2010, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Gregory Hartl, Spokesperson for Epidemic and Pandemic Diseases, World Health Organization:
“As we understand, it’s not directly in the makeshift camps where people had to be moved after the earthquake so it’s still a few kilometres away from there but it certainly is in close proximity.”
FILE - MINUSTAH - 2 FEBRUARY 2010, PETIONVILLE, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
6. Various shots, garbage and faeces
22 OCTOBER 2010, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Gregory Hartl, Spokesperson for Epidemic and Pandemic Diseases, World Health Organization:
“When there is poor water and sanitation infrastructure that certainly favours cholera spreading. We know that cholera is something relatively new in Haiti, that’s to say there hasn’t been an outbreak of cholera in about a 100 years in Haiti so people will not be very familiar with what to do in terms of recognizing the symptoms and where to go for treatment and also how to prevent it from spreading so there are big challenges at the moment in Haiti.”
FILE - MINUSTAH - 2 FEBRUARY 2010, PETIONVILLE, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
8. Various shots, flooded campsites
22 OCTOBER 2010, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Gregory Hartl, Spokesperson for Epidemic and Pandemic Diseases, World Health Organization:
“Cholera is spread by the bacteria which transmits or is present in faeces so unless there are faeces on the body that is being buried then that shouldn’t be a major a concern as in other instances.”
FILE - MINUSTAH - 2 FEBRUARY 2010, PETIONVILLE, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
10. Wide shot, latrines with signs on them saying "out of order"
11. Close up, sign on a latrine saying "please take away"
12. Med shot, garbage and filth on the ground and flies
13. Med shot, human faeces on the ground
22 OCTOBER 2010, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Gregory Hartl, Spokesperson for Epidemic and Pandemic Diseases, World Health Organization:
“This something that WHO is paying a great deal of attention to. The information we have is incomplete for the moment and changing and we are working to get more information. We have a team on the ground which is working with the health cluster there and which is working to get the proper structures in place to treat cholera. We’ll know more as the days go on.”
FILE – MINUSTAH - 5 JULY 2010, PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI
15. Close up, girls drinking from water tap
16. Med shot, boy filling plastic jug at water tap
17. Close up, boy filling jug
18. Med shot, three people walk in front of metal latrines
19. Close up, interior of latrine
20. Med shot, people gathered at water tap by metal fence
21. Close up, people washing hands
Following reports of a cholera outbreak in Haiti, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that “it is very, very difficult to say with any kind of surety how big the impact is.”
Gregory Hartl, Spokesperson for Epidemic and Pandemic Diseases at WHO, said that the organization is aware of the “many reports coming out of Haiti” reporting “a thousand cases” of cholera in the north of Port au Prince. He added that “how far it will spread is still really impossible to predict at this point.”
The outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting, symptoms of cholera, has been reported in the Artibonite region of Haiti, involving some 1,500 cases and 150 deaths but these figures remain unconfirmed.
Hartl said that the cases were not found directly in “the makeshift camps where people had to be moved after the earthquake” but added that “it certainly is in close proximity.”
Rapid diagnostic tests conducted by WHO show that some stool samples tested positive for cholera. WHO is currently awaiting results from stool samples that have been taken to a laboratory in Port au Prince for confirmation.
Hartl said that “there hasn’t been an outbreak of cholera in about a 100 years in Haiti” and WHO is concerned that “people will not be very familiar with what to do in terms of recognizing the symptoms and where to go for treatment” as well as “how to prevent it from spreading.”
Hartl added that “cholera is spread by the bacteria which transmits or is present in faeces.”
WHO reported that medical teams have been mobilized, medical supplies are being provided to the local hospital including 10,000 boxes of water purification tablets, 2,500 jerry cans, and the same number of buckets and hygiene kits are being distributed. Moreover, rehydration salt sachets have also been distributed.
Hartl said that although the information that WHO has “is incomplete for the moment and changing” there is team on the ground “which is working to get the proper structures in place to treat cholera.”
WHO confirmed that more teams will be travelling to the area tonight and tomorrow to assist the local authorities in making a detailed assessment of needs and further assistance will be provided accordingly.
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