16 December 2016 – Recognizing the moral responsibility of the United Nations to the victims of the cholera epidemic in Haiti, the General Assembly today welcomed the new UN approach to tackling the disease – formally launched earlier this month by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon – and called on all 193 of the world body’s Members States to provide the two-track plan their full support.

Adopting a consensus resolution, the Assembly called upon “all Member States, relevant UN bodies and other international governmental and non-governmental partners to provide their full support to [the new UN approach], in particular to intensify their efforts to respond to and eliminate cholera and to address the suffering of its victims, including by providing material assistance and support to communities and those Haitians most directly affected by cholera,”

Costing an estimated $400 million over the next two years, the approach, detailed in a report of the Secretary-General entitled A new approach to cholera in Haiti, will centre on two different elements, known as ‘Track One’ and ‘Track Two.’

‘Track One’ consists of a greatly intensified and better-resourced effort to respond to and reduce the incidence of cholera, through addressing Haiti’s short- and longer-term issues of water, sanitation and health systems and improved access to care and treatment.

‘Track Two’ of the approach is the development of a package of material assistance and support to those Haitians most directly affected by cholera, centred on the victims and their families and communities. It is expected that it will also involve affected individuals and communities in the development of the package