As cholera goes, so goes Haiti

Abstract

The West's poorest nation confronts a new disease.Following the worst cholera epidemic in recent history, the Haitian government has unveiled an ambitious plan to eradicate the disease within 10 years. But for that to work, people in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, need access to decent sanitation and safe drinking water, both of which are in short supply. But because of chronic problems like corruption and government instability, almost every effort to improve access to latrines, sewers, and safe water over the past 100 years has failed, and many question whether this new push will be any different. Without a dramatic change in Haiti, cholera may be there to stay, experts warn.