The Ministry of Health on Sunday raised an alarm over the escalating cholera outbreak in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) and called for an immediate intervention to save lives.
According to the health ministry, the outbreak, which began in Likuangole County and has since spread to Gumruk, has claimed 155 lives out of 888 reported cases. Of the deaths, 66 occurred in health facilities, while 89 took place within the community.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Dr. John Baba of the National Ministry of Health, attributed the outbreak to poor hygiene and a lack of clean drinking water, worsened by recent displacement along the Nanam River.
He also said that the Floods have damaged boreholes and taps, forcing internally displaced persons (IDPs) to drink from contaminated water sources.
“Cholera outbreak is nothing other than poor hygiene and lack of clean drinking water,” Dr. Baba stated. “When people drink dirty water from rivers, the result is severe, acute watery diarrhea.”
In response to the crisis, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has mobilized resources. However, Dr. Baba noted that donor fatigue is significantly hampering response efforts.
“We summoned all health partners to go the extra mile because we cannot contain the outbreak with the limited resources we have,” he said. “We believe reaching out to capable organizations like MSF will help establish a proper isolation center.”
MSF has deployed a team to assess the situation and has delivered medical supplies, including fluids and Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), to Jebel Boma County Hospital. The ministry of health also provided 84 cartons of fluids and 10 boxes of ORS as part of the emergency response.
However, Dr. Baba stressed that the current measures are insufficient to manage the growing number of cases, especially with the limited capacity of the existing isolation centers.
The South Sudan Doctors’ Union (SSDU) has also expressed concern about the outbreak, describing it as a humanitarian crisis driven by inadequate access to clean water, poor sanitation, and a fragile healthcare system.
The union urged the government to take immediate action, emphasizing the need for immediate allocation of emergency funds to procure supplies and deploy rapid response teams is crucial, particularly due to shifting donor funding priorities.
They also call on international partners to increase logistical aid, medical supplies, and human resources to contain the outbreak and prevent further loss of life.