Clean water and safe sanitation are vital to good health. Yet less than half of Haitians in rural areas do not have access to safe drinking water. In Côtes-de-Fer, women and girls often walk for hours to find water in the steep hills. Handwashing is not a habit, and since few families have toilets, open defecation is the norm—contaminating community water sources. Amid these challenging circumstances, waterborne diseases spread easily. A cholera resurgence took place in 2022 after more than three years with no reported cases.

CMMB Haiti works with families and communities to improve water and sanitation. We distribute water treatment tablets and water filters, educate on the importance of drinking clean water and washing hands, and build community toilets. CMMB Haiti is also responding to the cholera epidemic.