PAHO Rules Out Cholera in Venezuela After the Double Earthquake

The director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Jarbas Barbosa, ruled out this Thursday the risk of cholera outbreaks in Venezuela after the June 24 earthquakes. The official offered a clear picture of the health situation in the temporary shelters set up in the country.

A Ruling Supported by Regional Work

"There are no cases of cholera in Venezuela, so no cases of cholera are expected in Venezuela. Outbreaks in the region are under control thanks to PAHO's work in Haiti," Barbosa explained, placing the Venezuelan response within a health strategy already functioning in other countries in the region.

The Categories That Do Require Attention

The director was specific about the real risks facing the shelters: respiratory, diarrheal, and skin diseases.

"The most common in shelters are respiratory transmitted diseases, because we have a large number of people in a relatively small area," he detailed.

Regarding diarrheal diseases, he specified that they originate "from the lack of access to treated water and inadequate food handling," two factors that often arise in temporary shelter spaces after a natural disaster of this magnitude.

The Call to Reinforce Vaccination

Barbosa also focused on a specific point: the risk of measles and whooping cough in the camps.

"Venezuela already had vaccination coverage indicators below what is necessary. If there is a case of measles in a temporary camp, it can become an outbreak," he warned.

Faced with this scenario, the PAHO director called for ensuring that all displaced people can recover their vaccination coverage. "Guaranteeing that everyone can recover vaccination coverage is essential," he emphasized, in reference to the need to reinforce immunization schemes among the displaced population.