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03 November 2010 By Stephen
Lendman On October 22, Reuters confirmed
Haiti's cholera outbreak, saying efforts were being
made to prevent an epidemic that so far "killed nearly
200 people and sickened more than 2,000," official
reports understating the threat. On the same day, New York Times
writer Donald McNeil, Jr. headlined, "Cholera Outbreak
Kills 150 in Haiti," saying: "A cholera outbreak in a rural
area of northwestern Haiti....overwhelmed local
hospitals with thousands of sick," according to the
World Health Organization. Rural Artibonite, Haiti's
main rice-growing area, 62 miles north of
Port-au-Prince was struck, though cases were surfacing
elsewhere. They're now in the nation's capital where
overcrowding threatens a possible epidemic. Though normally less congested,
Artibonite hosts thousands of earthquake victims, most
drinking St. Marc River water, contaminated with raw
sewage. As a result, a potential disaster there looms
as in Port-au-Prince and other parts of Haiti. Dirty
water and poor sanitation are the problems, as well as
poverty, always the main cause wherever cholera
strikes. St. Marc Hospital was "a horror
scene," said David Darg, director of Operation
Blessing International. McNeil reported him
"describing people lying in courtyards on sheets
soaked with rain and feces, children writhing in agony
and adults lying motionless, their eyes rolled back as
nurses searched for veins." Since 1985, Partners in Health (PIH)
has done heroic work in Haiti, its "flagship project,"
delivering care to many thousands of impoverished,
malnourished, sick people. On October 26 on Democracy
Now, PIH's Dr. Evan Lyon called the outbreak
"terrifying," saying it's very fast-moving. Without
help, adults die in 24 hours. "For the young, for the
old, for vulnerable people," it's often 12 hours. Most alarming is that "In a
country where at least 70% (some say 90%) of people
have no access to (clean) water or (proper)
sanitation, (they) can't protect themselves." Haitians
have no experience with the disease. "Their immune
systems have no exposure, which will help the disease
spread more rapidly....So the country is terrified at
this point." On the same program, Dr. John
Arbus, Deputy Director of the Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO) said: "It's probably clear to us that
this will not go away for several years. We'll need to
(stay vigilant). This front-full surge of cases will
come down, but there will probably be sporadic cases
in the future, now that the bacteria is well
established in the environment." The first cases were confirmed
about a week earlier. Then cholera exploded and made
headlines. It struck a prison in Mirebalais near St.
Marc where Lyon used to work. At least six deaths were
reported, another 25 confirmed ill. The prison houses
about 250 inmates, at least 80% awaiting trial, not
convicted of a crime. Most, in fact, are likely
innocent. Yet all of them were exposed, can't get out,
are malnourished, and get unsafe water under "horrible
sanitation conditions....So people (there) based on
accusations (alone) have now been handed a death
sentence," Lyon explained. More frightening is that "cholera
will not go away in Haiti until the underlying
conditions" change, meaning poverty, hunger,
malnutrition, unsafe water, poor sanitation, densely
populated neighborhoods, and overcrowded outdoor camps
for up to 1.5 million in and around Port-au-Prince. Wherever there's poor
infrastructure, "this disease will be around....it's a
very frightening time for the country," authorities
understating the danger or potential numbers already
affected. It's likely thousands more than reported,
most ill, others dead or dying, even though reports
now say conditions are stabilizing. On October 25, Times writer
Deborah Sontag headlined, "Amid Cholera Outbreak in
Haiti, Misery and Hope," saying: Located in St. Marc, St. Nicholas
Hospital's courtyard had, "Scores of children and
adults....doubled over or stretched out on every
available surface, racked by convulsive stomach
disorder or limp with dehydration." For them, life
hangs in the balance. Most treated in time pull
through, Medical News Today's Christian Nordqvist
saying it's done "with cheap and simple antibiotics,
fluids and oral rehydration solution." Otherwise,
death is painful and likely. "Many people in our neighborhood
have died of diarrhea and vomiting," said Gerda
Pierre, her son, aged four, stricken with the disease
like many others. Through October 31, the reported
death toll was 337 with over 4,000 confirmed ill,
mostly in central and northern Haiti, though small
outbreaks in Port-au-Prince are alarming. UN and local
health officials warned of a potential epidemic,
putting "tens of thousands" or more at risk. So far, only scattered
Port-au-Prince cases have been reported that could
spread uncontrollably if not checked. Worrisome,
however, is whether greater numbers aren't known or
have been unreported, as well as outbreaks in other
areas. The Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO) calls cholera an intestinal
infection caused by "toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, group
O-1 or O-139." It results from natural or man-made
disasters, resulting in overcrowding; unsafe water;
poor sanitation, including improper elimination of
human waste; and contaminated food. Symptoms include
uncontrollable diarrhea, with or without vomiting,
producing dehydration and early death if not treated. Since first emerging over 200 years ago in Calcutta, India, it's killed millions. From 1817 - 1823, it spread from India to Southeast and Central Asia, the Middle East and Russia, ravaging areas struck. From 1826 - 1837, a cholera epidemic struck England and Western Europe, causing many thousands of deaths. It then spread to America, Canada, Mexico, Guyana and Cuba. In January 1991, Vibrio cholerae O-1 hit an area of coastal Peru. By 2000, it reached other regional countries, while America, Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Paraguay, Panama, and Suriname remained cholera free. Under good health conditions, it's entirely preventable. For decades, Haiti was spared. Now an epidemic threatens. Monitoring the situation, PAHO said suspected cases are in Haiti's Northern and Southern areas, as well as confirmed ones in Gonaives, Haiti's third largest city. Twenty or more cases in Port-au-Prince are being investigated. Likely there are many more unknown or unreported. A Final Comment An earlier article explained that Haiti is no stranger to adversity and anguish, after over 500 years of oppression, slavery, despotism, colonialism, reparations, embargoes, sanctions, deep poverty, starvation, disease, unrepayable debt, and calamities like destructive hurricanes, the January earthquake, and now cholera. It's an old story for Haitians, including US domination for nearly two centuries, bringing misery, not aid to needy people, a story that repeated in January that continues. Instead of delivering massive amounts of food, water, medical care, shelter, and immediate steps to clear rubble and rebuild, in came Marines and paratroupers, occupying the country repressively with UN Blue Helmets, never there for peace. Haiti was reopened for business, its people to be exploited, not helped. Billions of dollars of pledged or delivered aid is earmarked for development, not essentials to those in need under crisis conditions. For example, Washington promised over $1.1 billion. It's yet to be delivered, and whatever comes will go to profiteering NGOs, as well as for corporate ventures, upscale housing, and resource development, including projects George Bush and Bill Clinton are promoting. They include sweeping privatizations, tourism ventures, port development, free trade zones, deregulatory freedom creating worker hell, and eventually exploiting Haiti's riches, principally its oil, believed to be abundant. For America, the West, Haiti's oligarchs and its government, homeless, malnourished, mistreated, and sick Haitians are of no concern, including those affected by cholera. Only predatory imperial interests matter, preying on the many for the few, millions of Haitians easy pickings to exploit. Their struggle for liberation continues.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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