Eleven year old Wawins saves himself from cholera

Eleven-year-old Wawins was the first case of cholera to be seen at one of Save the Children’s cholera treatment units in Port-au-Prince.

He had been paying close attention to messages in school and on the radio, and he took action when he started having stomach pains. “In school they taught us that as soon as we don’t feel good we have to go to a doctor,” he said. His attention to the messages and recognition of the symptoms may have saved his life. After three days in the cholera treatment unit, he was sent home with his family, completely healthy. 

“People have to wash their hands all the time, not just after going to the bathroom, but also when they come in from the street,” said  Wawins. “Then they need to get help right away if they are sick.”

Save the Children is working with all its partner schools in Haiti to ensure that children and youth are armed with information that can help them combat the transmission of cholera.