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Cholera outbreak declared in South Sudan
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Nearly 600 cholera cases and more than 20 deaths have been reported in South Sudan, according to WHO.
The Ministry of Health of South Sudan declared a cholera outbreak May 15, and the cumulative total of cases has now risen to 586 cholera cases, including 22 deaths.
The index case was retrospectively identified with illness onset April 23. Four cases have been laboratory-confirmed after tests conducted by the African Medical Research Foundation laboratory in Nairobi, Kenya.
Cholera cases have been reported from eight of 15 sub-counties in Juba County, with a concentration of cases (25%) occurring in Muniki.
The Ministry of Health has developed a cholera response plan and established a cholera response task force to coordinate health and water, sanitation and hygiene activities.
Plans are underway to establish a cholera command and control center in Juba to strengthen the outbreak response coordination and support the emergency response task forces in all 10 states, according to a WHO press release.
WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, said it will continue to monitor the situation for further spread in Juba and the surrounding areas, especially given the ongoing conflict and crisis situation in the country; the poor prevailing sanitary conditions; the beginning of the rainy season; and the history of cholera outbreaks in the country.
The Ministry of Health, with the support of WHO, UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières and Medair, conducted oral cholera vaccination campaigns in February in the Tomping and Juba III camps that included more than 33,000 internally displaced people. The campaign achieved more than 80% vaccine coverage to prevent a possible cholera outbreak.
Based on current information available for this event, WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied to South Sudan.