Unity State’s health ministry Tuesday launched a cholera vaccination drive for people living in the state capital, Bentiu, Rubkona County, and the internally displaced population around Bentiu.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, the caretaker minister of health Stephen Tot Chieng said the campaign targets more than 1,500 people within the ages of one and above.
“There is poor hygiene that is why we fear cholera outbreaks or Hepatitis B,” he said. “We are targeting people from one year and above.”
Minister Tot said the first dose of vaccines will be administered in the next 10 days, while the second dose of the vaccines will be administered after a month.
“This is only prevention of any cholera outbreaks. We have no cases of cholera outbreaks yet. We are only fearing because the hygiene is very poor and people are defecating in the open, they don’t use the latrines,” he added.
He said the vaccines provided by health partners will be also be administered to the counties.
Minister Tot further advised the people in Bentiu to take the vaccines as they are safe, free, and will be delivered to their doorsteps.
Jal Kuol Malou, the county health director in Rubkona County said the campaign has started and has been embraced by the communities.
“We started yesterday and now it is a second day. I have just come back from the field because I went to one of the sites and I have just come back,” he said. “The situation where people are in now in Unity State is very bad and they are living in poor hygienic situations where any time, cholera may appear but we are trying to prevent any cholera outbreaks.”
The chief executive director of Bentiu Hospital, Dr. Banen Non also confirmed that there are no cholera cases in the area despite the floods and poor hygiene conditions.
Non says after an extensive awareness campaign, the people in the area have accepted the vaccines.