At least 1,300 people have been affected by hepatitis E in Unity State since an outbreak in February to July 29, 2024, the State Ministry of Health has reported.
The ministry said the majority of the victims were in the Bentiu IDP camp, Rubkonta town and the Bentiu town camp.
The ministry told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that the first infection was reported in 2018, with 26 others being reported in 2023, and the figure had now risen to 1,300.
The State Director-General of Health, Dr Duol Biem, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that he had declared the hepatitis E outbreak in Rubkonta town, the Bentiu town and the Bentiu IDP camps.
He said the Ministry of Health was fully aware of the outbreak, which he attributed to the use of unclean water and the lack of hygienic latrines.
“Hepatitis E affects the community when there is a shortage of clean latrines and clean water,” he said.
“We held the first meeting last week to address the challenges facing the community in Rubkonta, Bentiu town camp and Bentiu IDP camp. We are going to hold a second meeting on Thursday, to address the poor health conditions in the Bentiu IDP camp,” Biem said.
The State Ministry of Health, working with partners and the UN agencies, are planning to conduct the hepatitis E vaccinations.
Biem said the Bentiu IDP camp health workers were reporting new infections daily in the IDP camp.
“We always identify them when we test them from a hospital. The symptoms are nausea, vomiting, jaundice, fever, anorexia, joint pains and enlarged tender liver,” Biem explained.
“My message to the community is that they clean their latrines because this is the rainy season, which is particularly risky.”
The Bentiu IDP camp is the most populated area in Unity State, hence the common cases of infections.