Haiti gets US$50 million for cleaner water and sanitation in cholera hot spots

WASHINGTON, United States, Thursday May 28, 2015 – About 300,000 people from Haiti’s cholera-affected rural areas and small towns will benefit from increased access to clean water and sanitation as a result of a US$50 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank.

The Sustainable Rural and Small Towns Water and Sanitation project aims to save lives by preventing cholera and waterborne diseases in high prevalence zones, and strengthen the capacity of local agencies to deliver water and sanitation services in rural areas and small towns.

Haiti has made progress in controlling the cholera epidemic since the 2010 outbreak, with reported case numbers decreasing from a monthly average of more than 30,000 in 2011 to about 2,200 cases per month in 2014. However, due to heavy rains, cases rose sharply in the first quarter of 2015, to a monthly average of 3,400 cases.

“Despite much progress in Haitis fight on cholera, too many people are still getting sick, mainly because they dont have access to clean water and sanitation systems. This is even more vital in rural areas where less than one in two Haitians have access to safe drinking water and only 16 per cent have access to improved sanitation,” said Mary Barton-Dock, World Bank Special Envoy.

“By improving water and sanitation coverage in these targeted areas, we are not only saving lives, but also helping reduce poverty and improve livelihood opportunities of these communities.

While deaths from cholera and waterborne diseases declined last year and remain below one percent of cases, cholera resurgence remains a threat and water borne diseases are one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the country.

“We hear a lot in Haiti that water is life. With this project we have an opportunity to make this a reality for hundreds of thousands of Haitians,” said Benito Dumay, Director General of the National Water and Sanitation Directorate – DINEPA.

The project supports the Haitian government’s 10-year Cholera Elimination Plan and aims to prevent thousands more Haitian children from dying from waterborne diseases. The grant is part of an encompassing World Bank initiative which builds on the immediate emergency response after the outbreak in 2010 which benefited more than three million people through prevention education campaigns, training of community health workers and medical personnel, and direct treatment.

It also complements cholera prevention and treatment efforts for US$20 million under an ongoing health project focused on epidemiological surveillance and treatment.

The World Bank said it was committed to mobilizing donors and other partners to join forces in substantially improving water and sanitation coverage in Haiti, and strengthening health services.

Among the concrete results to be achieved are:

150,000 people will gain access to improved water sources through household connections and water kiosks;
50,000 people will benefit from improved sanitation through community-led sanitation campaigns, hygiene promotion, and construction of latrines in schools, health centers, markets and other public spaces;
100,000 people will benefit from small repairs and expansions;
A roadmap for universal access to water and sanitation by 2030 will be developed;
A regional surveillance system for pandemics will be designed with support from the Government of the Dominican Republic.