The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) confirmed this Saturday that the number of confirmed cases of cholera in Haiti has risen to 123, while the total number of deaths from the cause now stands at 37.
Four new cases of cholera have been registered in the central department, and alerts are being investigated in Artibonite, Center, Northeast, West, Southeast, Grand’Anse and Nippes, according to the latest information completion, which includes data up to Oct. 18. .
There are already eight regions with outbreaks in the capital region, with Cité Soleil (49 percent of all suspects) and Port-au-Prince (37 percent of all suspects) being the hardest hit.
It also emerged that 271 suspected cases, 12 confirmed cases and 14 deaths from cholera were identified at the Port-au-Prince civil prison.
This health situation is compounded by insecurity, lack of fuel, supplies and food, creating a very adverse situation for the Caribbean nation that may continue to worsen as the days go by.
According to the Haitian Health Ministry, 41 percent of cases are under the age of 10, an age group at high risk of developing complications and even dying from cholera.
In this context, and due to the serious food insecurity in the country, the PAHO warned that malnourished children are three times more likely to die.
In early October, Haiti registered its first case of cholera since 2019, a disease that broke out in the country after the 2010 earthquake and has claimed more than 10,000 lives and affected more than 820,000 people in less than a decade.