Haiti: "An official spokesperson for the fight against Covid-19 is missing"

Text by: Marie Normand Follow

34 dead and 146 new contaminations: this is the latest assessment communicated by the Haitian authorities Wednesday, May 27. While the epidemic is accelerating in the country, "the real battle against the Covid-19 must begin," wrote the Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste this Thursday, May 28. Interview with Frantz Duval, editor-in-chief of the daily.

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RFI : Do the authorities provide information on the profile of the deceased from Covid19 in Haiti ?

Frantz Duval : They are not old, contrary to what we observe in other countries, because the Haitian population is rather young. Only one deceased person was 69 years old. These are people of all ages, from all conditions, who often had co-morbidities. The perception of the disease has changed a lot. Before, Haitians did not believe it. Today, they know what Covid-19 is and go to hospitals a little earlier when they have symptoms. The centers that organize screening tests are outdated. There is a lot of delay in delivering the results because the number of cases explodes.

Among the co - morbidities that can be an aggravating factor of Covid - 19, there is renal failure. In one of Le Nouvelliste this Thursday, we learn that the dialysis centers are overwhelmed. For what reason ?

Dialysis centers face the same problem as other hospital services: they do not have enough protective equipment. There are additional precautions to take to perform this medical procedure because these patients can also be vectors of the disease. Everyone is a little scared. The process becomes longer and some patients refuse to move when these dialysis are essential. Dialysis centers have always been the poor relatives of hospital services and today the situation is even more serious.

How is the government communicating in the face of the accelerating epidemic in Haiti ?

What has been lacking in Haiti since the start of the health crisis is an authoritative and permanent voice to speak about the evolution of the disease and give advice to the population. There are lots of radio spots, posters all over the place. But this official spokesperson for the fight against the Covid-19 is missing. Today, in his editorial, Le Nouvelliste calls for an end to evasion and silence. Someone has to take charge of this battle. It seems that those responsible are passing on the hot potato, nobody really wants to put themselves forward. The Minister of Health, for example, Marie Greta Roy Clement, has completely disappeared from the landscape. We haven't seen her appear in public for weeks to talk about the Covid-19. She does the bare minimum.

Cité Soleil is one of the areas affected by Covid-19 in the metropolitan region of Port-au-Prince. This town also revives gang violence…

Cité Soleil, one of the most populous municipalities in Haiti, had experienced three years of calm. But in April 2019, a gang leader was assassinated. The battle resumed for his succession and for control of the territory. Le Nouvelliste reported the atrocious scenes that took place there on Sunday in Pont-Rouge. The mayor of Cité Soleil explained to our daily newspaper that three gangs clash and that the police are completely absent. The population is hiding or trying to move to quieter neighborhoods.

A word to finish this other title on the front page of Le Nouvelliste this Thursday : the Haitian Football Federation has appointed a provisional president following the suspension of Yves Jean-Bart, accused of rape and sexual assault. Who is his successor ?

It is Joseph Varieno Saint-Fleur . He is the oldest active vice-president, as provided for in the statutes of the federation. He replaces Yves Jean-Bart, suspended for 90 days, pending the results of the investigation. If he cannot return, a congress will be organized to choose a new president.

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• Haiti
• Coronavirus
• Health and Medicine