Kala azar disease on the rise in Jonglei, Upper Nile states: MSF
November 20, 2013 (JUBA) – The number of patients suffering from kala azar, a disease characterised by bouts of fever, is on the rise in South Sudan’s Jonglei and Upper Nile states, according to the medical charity, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
A press statement from MSF said in October 2013 alone, 360 patients suffering from the disease were treated at the Lankien health facility.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), kala azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, is characterised by irregular bouts of fever, weight loss, and swelling of the liver and spleen.
WHO says if the disease is not treated it can have a 100% fatality rate within two years.
Most of the patients treated so far for the disease in Jonglei and Upper Nile are children, said MSF.
“A greater percentage of the new patients we have admitted for kala azar in the past three months are children, most of whom are malnourished. We are also treating adults, but our main concern now is that most patients are arriving late to the clinic, especially those coming from far away locations”, MSF’s kala azar specialist, Alison Buchanan, said in the press statement.
To respond to the situation, MSF says it has set up treatment centres in eight locations in northern Jonglei, and is providing support to Malakal Teaching Hospital in Upper Nile state.
“Together with the ministry of health and other health agencies, the current strategy is to bring diagnostic and treatment services closer to the communities to improve access, facilitate early diagnosis and treatment, and thereby save lives”, said MSF head of mission Raphael Gorgeu.
Previous cases of the disease have been reported in Ayod, Fangak and Pigi counties, but MSF says no new cases have been reported in the three locations so far.
The medical charity says the treatment of patients has been hampered by the limited number of health facilities, poor state of the roads and difficulty accessing means to transport patients.
“These patients know of no other medical facilities around here. They need to know where else they can seek treatment, so that they reach us earlier,” Buchanan said.
MSF estimates it will treat up to 1,500 patients by February next year.
(ST)