Local authorities in Sudan’s East Darfur State said they are still taking steps to prevent spread of cholera disease into their state. They stepped up surveillance and screening in Firdos, Bahr al-Arab and Abu Jabra localities, following reports of cholera outbreak in South Sudan.
Fathi Ibrahim Suleiman, emergency coordinator at the state health ministry, said in a press statement that the ministry has put in place preventive measures in the localities bordering South Sudan.
The official pointed out that quarantines and medicines are available for South Sudanese refugees who cross to the state. Ibrahim confirmed his department’s readiness for any emergency case during this year’s rainy season.
For his part, Jamal Ibrahim, Director of the Environmental Health at the National Ministry of Health said they instructed the state government to chlorinate water in all the localities in order avoid cholera outbreak through water.
He pointed out they distributed medicines for watery diarrhea, saying campaigns in localities and internally displaced people camps are still underway.
Photo: Oral cholera vaccine at the Bentiu Protection of Civilians site in South Sudan, 2015