ANSE-A-PITRES, Haiti. July 11, 2011. – Following the mega earthquake that destroyed many parts of Haiti on January 12, 2010, a deadly cholera epidemic followed and the number of cases and deaths continue to rise uncontrollably. A recent report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) suggests that there have been 324,299 cases of cholera since the outbreak began back in October 2010. Haiti’s Ministère de Santé Public et de la Population has confirmed there have been 5342 deaths from cholera.

In the Dominican Republic, a total of 71 people have died from cholera-related diseases since last November, including nine deaths last week, the country’s Public Health Ministry said on Friday. The number of suspected cases had risen to 10,760 after 1,014 new cases were registered alone during last week. With the arrival of the rainy season, health authorities in both countries have tightened measures to prevent the spread of cholera and other diseases.

The Batey Relief Alliance, in partnerships with local NGOs and Ministries of Health, too has taken swift measures by installing Cholera Treatment Units (CTUs) inside the Dominican Republic’s batey in the province of Monte Plata and in Haiti’s Southeastern border commune of Anse-a-Pitres where hundreds of cases have been evaluated and treated.

But more needs to be done immediately to control the outbreak form spreading in more vulnerable and poverty-stricken communities of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Thousands of lives are at stake. Click on our DONATE NOW button today and make an urgent gift of $35, $50, $75, $100 or more, and save lives.

New York, N.Y. – On Monday, July 25, Batey Relief Alliance’s founder and CEO, Ulrick Gaillard begins a visit to Haiti. The 2-day trip is to participate in a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)-Haiti Action Network’s meeting. Last January, Gaillard became a member of the CGI—a community of international leaders committed to identifying groundbreaking solutions that reduce poverty, improve the environment, and increase access to health care and education around the world.

In Haiti, Gaillard is also scheduled to meet with the country’s Prime Minister, Max Bellerive, former Prime Ministers Jacques Edouard Alexis and Michele Pierre-Louis, Minister of the Haitian Diaspora, Edwin Paraison and high-ranking members of the Haitian Senate.

Gaillard seeks to highlight the high-impact projects (Women’s Empowerment, Food Security, Health and Water/sanitation) his organization is implementing in Haiti’s economically-deprived Southeastern border region, including the communes of Anse-a-Pitres, Thiotte and Grand-Gosier. On January 11, 2010, Gaillard signed an agreement with Haiti’s Minister of Health, whereby providing BRA full control, operation and management duties over the government’s medical facility located in the commune of Anse-a-Pitres. The center is now delivering critical health services and free medicines to local residents.

Gaillard is expected to re-affirm the commitment of BRA to continue working side-by-side with government agencies, local groups, as well as international institutions to improve living conditions for children and their families severely affected by extreme poverty, disease and hunger in vulnerable and impoverished communities of Haiti.

Gaillard then travels to the Dominican Republic where BRA executes a number of projects in health, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, agriculture/cooperative, food security, water/sanitation and child’s health/deworming.