Suspected whooping cough outbreak in Equatoria

NAIROBI, Oct 03, 2003 (IRIN) — Over 100 children, mostly under five, have died from a suspected outbreak of whooping cough in Kimatong Budi county, Equatoria state, according to the NGO, Medair.

In the space of four weeks from 20 August until 22 September, 126 children had died in the villages of Chawa, Kimatong, Thurunge and Kali, said Els Stam, Programme Coordinator for Medair.

With no NGO presence in the area for five years, only one health facility with limited medicines, and no laboratory facilities it had been impossible to establish the precise causes of death, but whooping cough was suspected, she said.

Of the 312 apparent cases observed by a Medair team from 22 until 25 September, half of them also had enlarged livers and spleen, she said.

A Medair team returned to Kimatong Budi country on Thursday and plans to split into two teams, based in Chawa and Kimatong, to treat people and give them preventative medicine. A doctor, a number of nurses and a laboratory technician will be located in each place.

Without vaccinations in the region, chronic malaria (and ongoing rains bringing further mosquitoes), plus the almost total lack of healthcare, children were very likely to become infected, she warned.