Launches a crusade to eradicate cholera in the island of Hispaniola

Under the coordination of the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization, the Centre for Control and prevention of diseases and Unicef launched yesterday a plan for the eradication of cholera in Dominican Republic and Haiti, which was called "Call to the action: La Hispaniola without cholera".

The initiative was released during a ceremony in the National Palace, which was broadcast a recorded message of President Leonel Fernandez in which the representative stated that Latin America and the Caribbean seen as laudable initiative that seeks to eradicate cholera in Haiti and Dominican Republic.

In the event spoke Maria de Jesus Conde, UNICEF; Marcos Espinal, representative in Washington of the PAHO/who, and the Minister of health of Dominican Republic, Bautista Rojas Gomez, who made a commitment to pass control to the Elimination of cholera through essential infrastructure investments u000asupply of water, sanitation and hygiene.

Fernandez hoped that during this 2012 Dominican Republic will continue efforts to combat the disease both in this country as in Haiti.

The head of State considered that this proposal should be supported by the Dominican authorities and Haitian.

In this regard, President Fernandez said that the country spared no efforts to bring their collaboration to the nation border through its programmes of vaccination and the implementation of other strategies.

, Held that marking the second year of a devastating earthquake that struck neighboring Haiti, "the occasion to reiterate our readiness to go aid of that nation in that material conditions so permit".

The representative said that the prevailing social reality in the region of Caribbean, specifically in Haiti and Dominican Republic, "leads us to think" u000a"about the work we have ahead especially in the field of health".

He recalled that dramatically Haiti suffered the worst onslaught of disease, which led to the solidarity of Dominican Republic and other nations who lent their cooperation to reduce the tables presented.

On their side, the representative of who/PAHO, Marcos Espinal, said that the Dominican Government deserves to be doubly congratulated on the efforts and the effectiveness with which has battled the disease and the contributions that has made so in Haiti to face this evil.

It considered that if you want to reduce cholera in both Nations should move quickly, and proposed the creation of a working group composed of experts from national and international, through which Haiti and Dominican Republic work together to deal with the situation.

( )
Are aware of the challenges
as to the Minister of health, Bautista Rojas Gomez, u000aHe said that ahead much remained to be done, and that as authorities are aware of this reality.

Said that after the release of this crusade against cholera there is commitment to invest about 500 million dollars in the long run for sanitation and construction of infrastructure that have to do with the supply of water

Noted that those resources would arrive through cooperation and financing.
At the ceremony were present the Minister of economy, planning and development, Themistocles Montás; the Mayor of the Distrito Nacional, Roberto Salcedo; director of CAASD, Freddy Perez, director of INAPA, Mariano Germán, and the Minister of the armed forces, lieutenant general Joaquín Virgil happy Perez, also members of the diplomatic corps and the Ambassador for Haiti in the country, Fritz Kineas, among others.

Situation of cholera in Haiti
in October 2010 arose in Haiti one of the greatest epidemics u000acholera in modern history, barely 10 months after the devastating earthquake on January 12 that same year.
A month later the disease spread throughout Haiti and began to notify cases in the country, which caused that in 2011 occurs about 149 deaths from the disease.

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