Cholera deaths jump 274 in South Sudan in past month
Death toll hits 334 after outbreak declared in October
JUBA, South Sudan
The death toll from a cholera outbreak in South Sudan jumped 274 to 334 in the last month, according to data from the Health Ministry.
The outbreak has affected 28 counties in seven states. The country has 10 states and three administrative areas.
“The cumulative number of cases is now 19,320, with 334 deaths reported. Rubkona, in Unity State, has the highest number of cases; followed by the capital, Juba; Aweil West in Northern Barh El Ghazal, Mayom county in Unity and Malakal, the capital of Upper State,” Harriet Akello Pasquale, a ministry official, told Anadolu.
Data released in December had recorded the deaths of 60 people and 6,000 cases.
South Sudan had declared a cholera outbreak in Upper Nile State in October after the first suspected case was reported Sept. 28 in Renk, a border town between Sudan and South Sudan.
Pasquale said the Finance and Planning Ministry allocated 1 billion South Sudan Pounds ($250,000) to respond to the outbreak.
She said the funds will strengthen water, sanitation and health (WASH) services interventions, risk communication activities case management and treatment.
“The money is actually meant to support all the response pillars for cholera. So, we have almost like 10 pillars, including coordination, support for an expanded program on immunization, surveillance and laboratory,” said Pasquale.
The South Sudanese government launched a campaign last week to vaccinate more than 300,000 people.
