Unity State: 20 people die of rabies in Payinjiar County
July 3, 2012 (BENTIU) – The Commissioner of Payinjiar County in South Sudan’s Unity State, Peter Gai Joak, told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that rabies has killed 20 people in his area.
The virus, which is transferred through dog bites is thought to be affecting 10 further people. Payinjiar County lacks proper healthcare facilities for treating rabies.
Health officials in the county have appealed to county authorities appealing for them to kill the stray dogs in the area and on Monday the commissioner issued a decree to kill all stray dogs in the county.
Joak called on dog owners to take them to veterinarian seeking treatments for their domestic animals in the county.
Payinjiar County lacks good roads making it hard to access Bentiu, the capital of Unity State, making it difficult for victims to travel for treatment.
The community in Payinjiar are calling for more help from the state government in Unity state to vaccinate people to prevent the virus causing more deaths.
The county has a big health centre but lacks the drugs and skilled health personnel needed to serve the people.
Despite a peace agreement in 2005 ending Sudan’s north-south civil war and South Sudan’s independence a year ago, residents in Payinjiar complain that they have not see any dividends in terms of development.
(ST)