Post-Hurricane Melissa Health Risks and Ongoing Community Vulnerabilities

Contaminated floodwaters remain a significant public health threat, carrying sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial waste that elevate risks of gastrointestinal illness. Floodwater exposure also increases susceptibility to skin and soft-tissue infections, particularly among those with open wounds.  Due to infrastructure damage, access to safe drinking water is limited. Temporary relief measures such as mobile water tanks and well rehabilitation are being used to meet immediate needs, though long-term recovery will depend on restoring treatment plants and pipeline systems.  

• Jamaica: Flooding and damage to sanitation systems have disrupted the water supply nationwide. Seventy water facilities remain inoperable due to high turbidity and power outages, while many communities in Kingston and St. Andrew continue to experience water lock-offs.  
• Cuba: Water systems in the eastern provinces sustained severe damage, with many communities in Granma and Santiago de Cuba still without safe water.  
• Haiti: Potable water shortages persist, compounding ongoing cholera risks amid continued flooding and displacement. 

Mold growth is intensifying respiratory health risks, particularly for those with asthma or other respiratory conditions. In overcrowded shelters, poor ventilation and exposure to dust and debris increase the likelihood of acute respiratory infections, especially among children and the elderly. This is particularly true in Jamaica and Cuba.  

The combination of stagnant water, poor sanitation, and disrupted healthcare has sharply increased the risk of water-, food-, and vector-borne disease transmission. Cholera, leptospirosis, and diarrheal diseases are primary concerns, while mosquito breeding in floodwaters threatens to worsen dengue fever and chikungunya outbreaks.    

• Jamaica: Power outages and contaminated water systems have disrupted disease surveillance and hindered health services. Public health authorities, with support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), are scaling up vector control, disease surveillance, and community health messaging to reduce transmission risks.    
• Cuba: Ongoing dengue fever, Oropouche, and chikungunya outbreaks may intensify due to halted vector-control operations, and limited treatment capacity.
• Haiti: The hurricane affected seven administrative departments, destroying crops and displacing communities. Potable water shortages and recent cholera cases increase the likelihood of water-borne disease outbreaks.   

Food and nutrition insecurity are growing risks, as agricultural losses, damaged supply chains, and reduced market access limit food availability. Flooded croplands, destroyed fisheries, and damaged transport routes are also limiting food availability and access.    

• Jamaica: Food pipelines are severely strained, and the World Food Programme estimates that up to 359,000 people may require food assistance.
• Cuba: More than 78,000 hectares of crops have been lost, alongside approximately 28,000 livestock in Granma Province. These losses, coupled with damaged fishing infrastructure, are deepening food insecurity and threatening rural livelihoods.  
• Haiti: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that the hurricane destroyed bean, corn, and fruit crops and delayed winter planting, worsening an already critical hunger crisis affecting half the population.  

Damage to hospitals, clinics, and supporting infrastructure, coupled with power and water outages, continues to impede service delivery. Healthcare disruptions have further complicated chronic disease management and immunization programs. Interruptions to electricity and cold chain systems threaten vaccine storage, while medication shortages and reduced clinic access have impacted patients requiring dialysis, insulin, or cancer treatment.  

• Jamaica: Several hospitals sustained structural damage, and 40 percent of health institutions are experiencing power instability.  
• Cuba: Authorities report hundreds of damaged health institutions, and access to many rural clinics remains cut off
• Haiti: Damaged infrastructure and road inaccessibility are delaying the transport of patients and supplies.  

Displacement, loss of livelihoods, and prolonged uncertainty have led to increased stress, anxiety, and trauma among affected populations. Health workers are similarly at risk of burnout due to resource shortages and continuous emergency operations. PAHO and national authorities are scaling up mental health and psychosocial services across the affected countries.    

Over the coming weeks, response efforts will focus on restoring essential services, preventing disease outbreaks, and ensuring continued access to food, water, and healthcare. In the longer term, recovery will depend on rebuilding and restoring health services and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure. Coordinated national and international support will be vital to safeguard public health as the Caribbean transitions from emergency response to sustained recovery. This represents the most complete data available as of Nov. 5.  

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