New Cholera outbreak kills 19 in South Sudan
June 23, 2015 (JUBA) – At least 19 people have died and nearly 200 admitted at Cholera centers in South Sudan capital, Juba as government declared an outbreak of the disease.
“And up to today, we have 171 cases of cholera and 18 cases of death due to Cholera in different parts of Juba. Nine of these cases occurred in Juba Teaching hospital. Nine of these cases occurred at home,” the minister told reporters in Juba.
John Rumunu, the director for preventable diseases said another patient with the disease died on Monday bringing to 19 the numbers of people who succumbed to it.
Officials say 167 people died in 2014 after government confirmed over 1,000 Cholera cases. There are no clean drinking water points in Juba and resident relies on water transported by tanks drivers to their households.
The health minister, however, said Cholera cases would be minimised this year.
“We have set up the treatment center. We have been also scaling up our surveillance all over the country,” he said.
The first suspected cholera case occurred at United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)-manned Protection of Civilians site (PoCs) in Juba, according minister Kok.
Cholera is a bacterial disease that affects one after eating or drinking contaminated food or water. The disease can reportedly be avoided by washing hands after visiting latrines and boiling drinking water.
(ST)