Qa'dah 21, 1431 H/Oct 29, 2010, SPA -- A senior U.N. health official warned on Thursday that the cholera outbreak in Haiti is not yet contained and stressed the need to continue enhancing treatment, prevention, and response-preparedness measures. Claire-Lise Chaignat, the coordinator of the global task force on cholera control at the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO), told reporters in Geneva that these things must be done even in areas that have not been affected by the epidemic. "I do not think that we have reached the peak of this epidemic," Chaignat said, adding that the provision of clean drinking water to populations in affected areas was a key control measure. Chaignat said improvement of sanitation facilities, availability of oral rehydration salts for those already infected, and ensuring that people ate food prepared with clean water and in good hygiene conditions also are important control measures. Chaignat said that 40 percent of people living along the Artibonite River in Haiti, which is believed to be the sources of the cholera bacteria, has been reached with water chlorination tablets. As of Wednesday, the United Nations put the death toll at 284 of the 3,769 cases confirmed, with 96 per cent of cases having been reported in the Artibonite department, and the rest in the Centre department. Chaignat said the case fatality rate of the outbreak is 7.7 per cent, which is considered high, but is expected to decline as treatment and prevention measures stabilize.
