South Sudan officially declares end of cholera outbreak

February 7, 2018 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s health ministry and the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared the end of a cholera outbreak in the war-torn nation.

Cholera is an infectious disease that causes severe watery diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated. It is caused by eating food or drinking water contaminated with a bacterium called Vibrio cholerae

Since July last year, Cholera has killed 436 people, the ministry said.

“We today declare an end of the cholera outbreak that affected the country from June 18, 2016 to December 18, 2017,” the health minister, Riek Gai Kok told reporters in the South Sudan capital, Juba.

He said there were 20,438 documented Cholera cases in 26 counties, since an outbreak of the disease was declared in 2016.

“As we declare the end of cholera outbreak, the public is encouraged to continue observing the preventive measures to avoid cholera and other diarrheal diseases,” said minister Kok.

The outbreak, the minister said, was the longest and largest cholera epidemic ever recorded in terms of scale and spread in the country.

He, however, said the outbreak of the deadly disease was effectively managed and controlled through joint efforts from health partners and donors.

(ST)