UN rushes in support as South Sudan battles cholera outbreak

JUBA Sudan: The United Nations and its partners are rushing to ramp up support for South Sudan’s fight to contain a cholera outbreak through measures, including an oral vaccination campaign to reach over 14,000 people and the creation of treatment and rehydration centres.

Across the country, 271 cholera cases have been reported, including 14 deaths since July 12.

“Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that causes massive loss of body fluids and can be deadly within hours if not adequately treated,” Dr Abdulmumini Usman, Country Representative of the World Health Organisation ( WHO) for South Sudan, said in a press release.

WHO is taking all the necessary control measures to support the Ministry of Health to respond to the situation urgently, and put an end to this outbreak, he added.

With the conditions favourable for transmission of cholera due to increased population displacement, overcrowding, poor hygiene and sanitation, this outbreak could further exacerbate an already weak health system which is also battling malnutrition, measles and malaria.

A National Cholera Taskforce, comprising the Ministry of Health, WHO, the UN Children’s Fund ( UNICEF), Medecins Sans Frontieres ( MSF) and other partners, has been activated and is providing oversight and coordination for the response to the cholera outbreak.

WHO, with support from partners, has established a cholera treatment centre capable of treating 100 patients at Juba Teaching Hospital, while strengthening disease surveillance and comprehensive disease investigation, including following up on people who may have come into contact with the disease.

To improve access to timely rehydration, UNICEF supported the establishment of eight oral rehydration points. — Bernama