JUBA, South Sudan, 19 May 2014 – The caseload of cholera is rapidly increasing in South Sudan and the deadly, highly contagious disease appears to be spreading, UNICEF said today.
Since the outbreak of cholera in the capital Juba late last week, the reported cholera caseload has doubled every day; now with new reported cases in two additional states, Jonglei and Upper Nile. After the first case was confirmed in Juba four days ago, more than 130 additional cases are now being treated. There are three confirmed deaths. Dozens of children are among the affected.
“The severity of the cholera outbreak is just one manifestation of a country failing its children,” said Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF Representative in South Sudan. “Cholera puts ever more strain on the most vulnerable, whose health is already compromised by a nutritional crisis.”
Since January, UNICEF has warned of the threat of cholera, due to the desperate overcrowding of camps following continued violence, and now the rainy season. Last month, UNICEF said that unless nutrition treatment is scaled up immediately, up to 50,000 children under the age of five are likely to die.
In response to the cholera outbreak, UNICEF has helped establish a Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC) at the Juba Teaching Hospital. It also provided life-saving supplies, including medicines, protective gear and equipment, and is expanding preventive measures to halt further spread across the country.
However, UNICEF in South Sudan urgently needs US$10 million so as to continue current life-saving operations and increase its cholera prevention work.
Other immediate actions by UNICEF include:
• Provision of safe water and essential sanitation in the cholera treatment centre and across the country;
• Provision of medical and hygiene equipment, oral rehydration solutions and chlorine to Government authorities and NGOs
in Juba;
• Provision of temporary wards for both triage and patient care at the cholera treatment centre;
• Distribution of thousands of litres of safe drinking water at the cholera treatment centre, as well as fuel to ensure
consistent electricity supply for patient treatment;
• Training of hundreds of health workers, teachers, community leaders and volunteers in Juba on the identification of cholera
symptoms and prevention methods;
• Pre-positioning of diarrheal disease kits in Protection of Civilians sites and at sub-national level; and
• Mass dissemination of public health messages in five languages through radio, banners, posters and community
mobilization.
The cholera response in South Sudan is led by the Ministry of Health, with support from the World Health Organization, UNICEF partners.