The Government of Unity State has confirmed the arrival of 200,000 doses of oral cholera vaccine from the National Ministry of Health and partners to fight the disease in Mayom County.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday announced that the current cholera outbreak in South Sudan has recorded 21,000 cases and 367 deaths.
As of January 22, 2025, this cholera outbreak, which the government declared in October 2024, has been reported across seven states. The leading counties are Rubkona, with 47% of total cases, followed by Juba, at around 10%.
The State acting Director General of the Ministry of Health, Bany Makon, confirmed to Radio Tamazuj on Saturday that the vaccines arrived on Friday and Saturday morning and that they would be given to people aged one year and above in Mayom only.
He said the vaccination would start on Wednesday in all the health facilities in Mayom County.
“I am informing the public that the cholera vaccination will take place starting Wednesday and the vaccination team will resume training this morning as the awareness team goes around ahead of them,” he said.
“The state government appreciates the great work and the commitment shown by the stakeholders and we are requesting health partners and well-wishers to work with us,” he added.
The vaccination in Mayom will take four days then move to Guit County, before proceeding to the Bentiu capital.
Mayom Town resident Moses Kai said that the arrival of the vaccines was timely.
“It is good that the population will be vaccinated because many people have died of cholera in Mayom County since December last year,” he said.