Foreign Policy Blogs

Haiti in the Time of Cholera (link)

Earlier this week I reported on the devastating cholera epidemic currently racing through the Haitian countryside for The Atlantic.

The numbers have now climbed to 442 registered deaths and 6,742 hospitalizations, but my reporting from the Artibonite and Central plateau regions is still timely.

“Cholera arrived in Haiti this month with a vengeance. Since the first case was identified on October 19, 4,764 people have been hospitalized and 337 deaths have been counted.

The actual numbers may be much higher; early in the epidemic, over half the people counted as deceased arrived at health centers already dead, indicating that many were dying without accessing services. The outbreak is centered in the rural Artibonite and Central Plateau regions, where health centers are few and far between and transportation to the centers can take hours.”

To read the full text and view the photo slide show please continue to http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/11/haiti-in-the-time-of-cholera/65516/

 

Author

Allyn Gaestel

Allyn Gaestel is a journalist focused on international affairs and human rights. She is currently in the United States finishing documentaries from India and the Caribbean. Previously she was based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and earlier worked as a United Nations correspondent in New York. Her background is in political science, public health, women's issues, and development. She has worked in Haiti, India, Senegal, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritania and the Bahamas. You can follow Allyn on twitter @AllynGaestel