Haiti Update: A cholera epidemic has been confirmed in Haiti—a disease that has not been identified in the country for over 20 years.  Significant disruptions of sanitation and water infrastructure caused by the January 2010 earthquake are likely to be at least in part responsible for the outbreak, however questions remain as to how the disease re-entered the Haitian population.  Cholera is transmitted through water and food that is contaminated with Vibrio cholerae  organisms.  Cholera causes severe diarrhea and vomiting which quickly leads to dehydration and death if untreated.  Health officials are working to bolster hospital capacity to treat infected individuals and are promoting hygiene and preventive behaviors, such as hand washing.  For more information on the situation from the CDC CLICK HERE.  Below is a list a resources to assist disaster relief workers and international aid organizations in meeting recovery challenges in Haiti.

Want to help?  Below is a concise list of prominent disaster relief organizations:

• Partner’s in Health
• Doctors without Boarders
• American Red Cross
• UNICEF
• Project HOPE

Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Cultural Information

• CIA World Factbook: Haiti
• U.S. Department of State: Haiti
• U.S. Cencus Bureau: Earthquake in Haiti

Translated Materials and Guidance:

• CDC: Haiti Pre-decision Briefs for Public Health Action
• WHO: Haiti Information and Updates
• CDC: Guidance for Relief Workers and Others Traveling to Haiti for Earthquake Response (Updated 3/16/10)
• CDC: Health Information for Travelers to Haiti
• Medline Plus: Translated Haitian Creole Health Information
• Refugee Health Information Network: Translated Haitian Creole Health Information
• Hesperian Foundation: Where There is No Doctor (Haitian Creole), Sanitation and Cleanliness booklet (Haitian Creole), Where Women Have No Doctor (Haitian Creole)

Toolkits, Online Training, and Guides:

• K4Health: Haiti Relief Toolkit
• Gender and Disaster Network: Resources to inform gender-responsive approaches to disaster relief  

Peer-Reviewed Articles:

• Recovering from Disaster — Partners in Health and the Haitian Earthquake
• Health Care Volunteers and Disaster Response — First, Be Prepared
• Ethnocultural Considerations in Disasters: An Overview of Research, Issues, and Directions
• Communicating Across Cultures: Improving Translation to Improve Complex Emergency Program Effectiveness