U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon says that the World Health Organization and the Pan-American Health Organization now estimate that the cholera epidemic in Haiti could affect as many as 650,000 people over the next six months.
Reporting to the General Assembly on Friday, Ban also said that U.N. teams believe that the official numbers of 1,800 deaths and nearly 81,000 infected could be double that because of difficulties in reporting.
He says there's an urgent need in Haiti for more cholera treatment centres, and another 350 doctors, 2,000 nurses and 2,200 support staff to run them. He's also calling on the world's nations to contribute more to the organization's appeal for $164 million to contain the outbreak, saying it's still only 20 per cent funded.
?? The Canadian Press, 2010