FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Washington, DC – October 23, 2010 – Today, International Action met with DINEPA water department officials and UN WASH Cluster partners to strategize a coordinated response to the spreading cholera epidemic. To combat this fatal waterborne disease, International Action plans to supply and install 50 chlorinators and 8 water tanks throughout Artibonite Department, the epicenter of the outbreak. Nine hundred chlorine tablets have also been released by the organization to the Haitian water agency and other NGOs addressing the public health crisis.
As of this morning, the casualty toll stands at 194 deaths and 2,364 Haitians hospitalized. If left untreated, cholera can kill within hours.
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that the outbreak has reached the Haitian capital, and leading health officials fear that up to 800,000 Haitians in Port-au-Prince will contract cholera over the next 6 months.
Chlorinators and chlorine tablets are readily available in Haiti to any organization operating in cholera-affected areas. Interested parties should contact us immediately. Our Director in Haiti, Dalebrun Esther, can be reached at +509 3712.6918.
About International Action
International Action is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on creating a healthy Haiti by providing clean water and other life-saving programs. Since 2006, International Action has worked with Haitian communities to provide training, education, and create sustainable water systems. International Action currently protects over 600,000 Haitians from waterborne diseases and improves their quality of life.
Contact
Youngmin Chang
ychang@haitiwater.org
International Action
819 L Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 488-0735
https://haitiwater.org/