Disease Dilemma's - Case Study - Red Cross in Haiti - NGO dealing with disease outbreak

Question 1

What disease hit Haiti? What type of disease is this? How does it occur? Who was NGO that helped? (4)

Answer 1

1). Cholera.

2). Water-borne disease.

3) Sewage & drinking water mix often due to poor sanitation.

4). British Red Cross

Question 2

What socio-economics & physical factors caused Haitians to be highly vulnerable to disease? (3)

Answer 2

1). Large slum population = poor sanitation systems already.

2) Very poor (60% of pop on less than $2.5 a day) = can’t afford adequate sanitation.

3). Magnitude 7 Earthquake forced slums to collapse & people out into makeshift camps where conditions were overcrowded

= all 3 FACTORS = perfect conditions for sewage & drinking water to mix

Question 3

When was disease epidemic in Haiti confirmed? Cases & deaths by 2014? Total cases/deaths? (3)

Answer 3

1). October 2010.

2). Cases = 720k Deaths = 8700.

3) By 2020 800k cases and over 10k deaths

Question 4

What did the NGO do to combat the disease in Haiti? (5)

Answer 4

1). Supplied clean water to aid camps (to over 300k people).

2). Installed 1300 latrines that helped 250k people.

3) Provided medical supplies to Saint Marc hospital (main hospital in Port Au-Prince)

4) Oral cholera vaccinations for 18.7k cases in camps.

5) Volunteers went door-to-door showing locals how to spot symptoms & message put out on radio/newspaper

Question 5

Success of NGO intervention in Haiti? Issues? (2)

Answer 5

1. Lowered numbers - 2011: 35k cases a month, 2014: 2.2k. And by 2019 Cholera ‘free’
2. BUT: aid given to wider International Cross was mismanaged and lost via corruption (i.e. could have lowered numbers quicker/prevented subsequent outbreaks after initial epidemics)