Cargill Donates Salt to Fight Disease in Haiti

MINNEAPOLISIn an effort to help eradicate cases of Lymphatic Filariasis (LF), Cargill donated 100 metric tons of raw salt to the  Norte Dame Haiti Program (NDHP). The salt will be fortified and distributed in Haiti, where approximately one-third of the population suffers from LF. 

When we talk about why our salt business exists, we say it is to nourish people and enhance lives every day," said Ruth Kimmelshue, president of Cargill Salt.

The salt will come from Cargills solar salt facility in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. It will be packaged by Cargills long-time customer Bromo Industrial in the Dominican Republic, and will be taken to Haiti by NDHP.

By helping to address this problem in Haiti," said NDHP founder Fr. Tom Streit, CSC, PhD, Notre Dame provides hope and relief to the Haitian people."

LF is caused by parasites that can accumulate and damage the lymph vessels, causing arms, legs and other parts of the body to swell many times their normal size. The Notre Dame Haiti Program has been working in coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on eliminating LF in Haiti for almost two decades. Despite the devastating January earthquake, the goal for national coverage for the mass drug administration is on target to be reached in 2011. The salt will act as secondary method for helping eradicate LF.

Streit said that medicated salt has been proven as the most effective secondary treatment, particularly in Haiti where diets tend to be salt-rich."

In addition to the salt, Cargill will donate $10,000 to Notre Dame for use by NDHP.