The World Bank today said that in response to the first cholera outbreak in
Haiti in decades, it is preparing a US$10 million Cholera Emergency
Grant.
The programme is part of its US$479 million reconstruction support.
The outbreak has already caused over 1,200 deaths and could kill up to 10,000 people in the coming six to 12 months if the outbreak is not reined in, according to figures from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
“Haiti needs all the help it can get to respond to the deadly cholera epidemic which is ravaging parts of the country”, said Ronald Baudin, Haiti’s Minister of Finance, according to the press release.
The US$10 million grant will bolster the surveillance and monitoring capacity of the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) and the Haitian National Directorate of Water Supply and Sanitation (DINEPA). The initiative is aligned with the Cholera Inter-Sector Response Strategic Plan for Haiti, under the leadership of MSPP and DINEPA, the release said.
The grant will also fund the work of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to improve access to clean water, provide basic health services for affected
populations and vulnerable groups, as well as safe sanitation and waste
management in high risk areas.
The release said that the Bank has also granted assistance to the Directorate of Civil Protection since the beginning of the cholera outbreak to coordinate the response of the Government and its partners. This assistance has supported the setup and manning of the National Emergency Operation Center and management of the national campaign “Konbit kont Kolera,” which raises awareness on cholera and its prevention.
According to Haitian official figures, the number of people hospitalized has
reached more than 22,512 and the number of deaths has risen to more than 1,200.
The new World Bank grant of US$10 million is being prepared with the Government of Haiti and United Nations agencies and is expected to be formally submitted
to the Board of Directors of the World Bank for approval in December 2010.
Provisions under World Bank emergency operation procedures allow for up to 40 percent of the grant, once approved, to be used to reimburse eligible
expenditures already incurred as part of the emergency response, the release added.