The health authorities in Ruweng Administrative Area have confirmed the death of two children died of measles on Friday in Abiemnom County.
A rise in measles cases has been reported among returnees and refugees who fled to South Sudan from Sudan and live in dire humanitarian conditions.
Last week, the Ruweng Administrative Area health ministry declared a measles outbreak in Abiemnom where 96 cases were diagnosed.
The director general of the health ministry, Elijah Wal Chol, said the government and partners will conduct a mass vaccination campaign to control the spread of the disease.
“We use a case definition and whoever fits into the definition is listed as a case,” he stated. “The numbers I am giving are line-listed and confirmed cases by laboratory tests and there are over 100 cases listed.”
For his part, the Abiemnom County health director, Simon Mayol, said health workers are working with aid agencies to vaccinate children against the disease.
“The measles outbreak is increasing daily and we communicated to the Ruweng health ministry to support the affected children. We also reported to the national health ministry but there has been no response,” he said.
Mayol believes that when there is an intervention, the cases will be reduced.