Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on 28 October as a Category 5 storm, causing severe regional impacts across Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. The storm has heavily disrupted health systems, resulting in damaged hospitals, power and water outages, and limited access to essential health services. Response operations remain constrained by blocked roads, flooding, and restricted airport and port access. Report Highlights - Jamaica: Severe damage continues being reported at 5 major hospitals, with 134 health facilities damaged nationwide. Electricity, water supply, and communications are being restored, but intermittent connectivity, water supply remain problems in the Western and Southern regions. Biomedical waste storage and disposal remain problems in multiple health facilities.
- Haiti: Approximately 600 people remain in two temporary shelters in Ouest Department. 43 deaths have been reported, mainly in Petit-Goâve, Ouest Department. A cholera outbreak that began in January 2025 persists, with localized cases in Belle-Anse and Grand-Gosier; specimen transport delays to LNSP continue. 9 health facilities affected (5 health centers, 4 dispensaries).
- Cuba: Ongoing rainfall, blocked roads, and collapsed bridges complicating recovery efforts, with 53,000 people still evacuated and 628 people remaining in shelters. Essential services have been disrupted across the affected eastern provinces, with damage reported to 642 healthcare facilities. Flooding in affected areas has limited access to safe water and increased risk of water-borne and vector-borne illness. No disease outbreaks have been reported.
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