Cholera Outbreak in Haiti and Dominican Republic. Situation Report, n.12 (20 January 2023)

Abstract

In Haiti, as of 16 of January 2023, the Department of Epidemiology, Laboratories, and Research (DELR) reports 24,451 suspected cholera cases in all 10 departments of the country. Of these, 1,870 cases have been confirmed in ten departments: 1,144 (61%) in Ouest, followed by 287 in Centre, 83 in Sud Est, and 85 in Artibonite. In Haiti, high levels of insecurity and limited access to fuel and populations continue to be major challenges in the response to the cholera outbreak. In Haiti, PAHO/WHO continues to support the Ministry of Health (Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population – MSPP) and partners, including: Technical and logistical support to epidemiological surveillance, field investigations and early multisectoral response in all departments, strengthening data completeness and quality and transportation of samples, in collaboration with the DELR and departmental health directorates. PAHO continues to strengthen the Cholera Response Structure agreed with departmental health directorates and UNICEF, through support for the recruitment of emergency response staff. Strategic and technical support for the development of the final cholera vaccination campaign report, which took place from 19 to 31 December in the Ouest and Centre Departments and targeted 1,170,800 people. In the Dominican Republic, on 18 January the Ministry of Public Health confirmed 6 new cholera cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 25, five of which imported from Haiti and 17 in two sectors in Santo Domingo. PAHO/WHO is providing technical and logistical support to the Ministry of Health in investigating and responding to cholera alerts, prevention activities through risk communication and community engagement as well as in the upcoming vaccination campaign. In Haiti, as of 16 of January, a total of 24,451 suspected cholera cases were reported in all ten departments in the country, including cases reported in the Civil Prison in Port-au- Prince. Of these, 1,870 were confirmed by the national laboratory, including 496 deaths. To date, ten departments have reported confirmed cases, with the majority being reported in Ouest (1,144), followed by Centre (287), Sud-Est (83) and Artibonite (85). Since 12 January, there has been an increase of 6.21% in overall suspected cases and an 18.65% increase in confirmed cases across all the country (Figure 1). The case fatality rate among suspected cases is 2%. The 496 deaths reported as of 16 January represent a 7% increase compared to 10 January 2023. The Ouest Department reported a 1.45% increase in suspected cases and a 4.38% rise in confirmed cases since 10 January 2023. The other 9 departments reported an average increase of 17.2% in suspected cases and a 51.3% rise in confirmed cases during the same period (Figure 1). The most affected municipalities in the Ouest Department continue to be Port-au-Prince, Delmas, Cité Soleil, Carrefour, and Pétion-Ville, where the majority of suspected and confirmed cases are reported. Based on MSPP information from 16 January, 56.65% of reported suspected cases are male, and 43.35% female (Figure 2). Among the 1,870 confirmed cases, age groups 1-4 (19.4%) and 5-9 (15.56%) are the most affected.