WASHINGTON: ABOUT 300,000 people from Haiti s cholera-affected rural areas and small towns will benefit from increased access to clean water
and sanitation as a result of a US$ 50 million grant from the International
Development Association (IDA) approved today by the Board of Directors of the
World Bank. The Sustainable Rural and Small Towns Water and Sanitation project
aims to save lives by preventing cholera and waterborne diseases in high
prevalence zones, and strengthen the capacity of local agencies to deliver
water and sanitation services in rural areas and small towns.

Haiti has made progress in controlling the cholera epidemic since the 2010
outbreak, with reported case numbers decreasing from a monthly average of more
than 30,000 in 2011 to about 2,200 cases per month in 2014. However, due to
heavy rains, cases rose sharply in the first quarter of 2015, to a monthly
average of 3,400 cases. While deaths from cholera and waterborne diseases
declined last year and remain below one percent of cases, cholera resurgence
remains a threat and water borne diseases are one of the leading causes of
infant mortality in the country.

We hear a lot in Haiti that Water is life. With this project we have an
opportunity to make this a reality for hundreds of thousands of Haitians, said
Benito Dumay, Director General of the National Water and Sanitation Directorate
– DINEPA. This project supports the Government s 10-year Cholera Elimination
Plan and aims to prevent thousands more Haitian children from dying from
waterborne diseases .

Today s grant is part of an encompassing World Bank initiative which builds on
the immediate emergency response after the outbreak in 2010 which benefited
more than three million people through prevention education campaigns, training
of community health workers and medical personnel, and direct treatment. It
also complements cholera prevention and treatment efforts for US$ 20 million
under an ongoing health project focused on epidemiological surveillance and
treatment. The Bank is committed to mobilize donors and other partners to join
forces in substantially improving water and sanitation coverage in Haiti, and
strengthening health services.

Despite much progress in Haiti s fight on cholera, too many people are still
getting sick, mainly because they don t have access to clean water and
sanitation systems. This is even more vital in rural areas where less than one
in two Haitians have access to safe drinking water and only 16 percent have
access to improved sanitation, said Mary Barton-Dock, World Bank Special Envoy.
By improving water and sanitation coverage in these targeted areas, we are not
only saving lives, but also helping reduce poverty and improve livelihood
opportunities of these communities .

The new project will target priority communes with high cholera incidence rates
in the dry season. It will reinforce and complement the activities carried out
by other local and international partners in the country, and will have an
impact across the Island of Hispaniola and on the border with the Dominican
Republic, including bi-national markets.

Among the concrete results to be achieved are:

” 150,000 people will gain access to improved water sources through household
connections and water kiosks;
” 50,000 people will benefit from improved sanitation through community-led
sanitation campaigns, hygiene promotion, and construction of latrines in
schools, health centers, markets and other public spaces;
” 100,000 people will benefit from small repairs and expansions;
” A roadmap for universal access to water and sanitation by 2030 will be
developed.
” A regional surveillance system for pandemics will be designed with support
from the Government of the Dominican Republic.

This six-year project will be implemented by the National Water and Sanitation
Directorate (DINEPA) under the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and
Communications (MTPTC). The World Bank is working closely with development
partners including the Inter-American Development Bank, the Government of
Spain, the Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization
(PAHO/WHO), the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the U.S. Center for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).