The President Leonel Antonio Fernández, accompanied by the Minister of Public Health Dominican Bautista Rojas, received this week the Prime Minister of Haiti, Jean Max Bellerive, and the Haitian Minister of Public Health, Dr. Alex Larsen. The two governments have discussed mainly of the fight against the cholera epidemic which ravages Haiti.

Since the outbreak of cholera has appeared in Haiti (October 19, 2010), 97.595 people were infected and treated, 46.749 people were hospitalized and 2.193 people died. According to the latest report of the MSPP, dated December 6, 2010. Significant figures, but largely underestimated by the government according to health experts from the UN, who believe that these figures could be the double of those published.

In Dominican Republic the first case of cholera was confirmed Tuesday, Nov. 16. Since, 21 other cases were confirmed, but no deaths. The Dominican Republic has deployed considerable means of prevention, near its population, and a large-scale surveillance at borders to limit the spread of this disease, which is currently limited to isolated cases.

"The only thing that matters for us is to protect our neighbors, but not only the Dominican Republic, the disease was imported into Haiti, and now we must not re-export it to other countries", declares the Prime Minister of Haiti. "The Haitian and Dominican authorities, works together at the installation of the Cholera Treatment Center along the border", said Jean Max Bellerive.

The President Fernandez and the President of Haiti Rene Preval, should meet next week within the framework of a meeting of the haitian Bilateral Joint Commission. It will be question in priority, but not only, of the fight against the cholera epidemic leads by the two countries. Although planned for Tuesday, the date is not confirmed yet by the Haitian government.

See aslo:

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1678-flash-cholera-entered-legally-in-the-dominican-republic.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1689-haiti-epidemic-the-dominican-republic-reinforces-its-health-measures.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-1759-haiti-cholera-epidemic-border-closed-important-dominican-military-device.html

BF/ HaitiLibre