The Ministry of Health in Unity State has reported a devastating toll of 30 children who lost their lives due to measles in various counties.
Rubkona County witnessed 13 deaths, Guit County reported one death, Koch County recorded two deaths, Leer County reported two deaths, Bentiu Hospital documented seven deaths, Bentiu IDP camp hospital recorded 16 deaths, and Mayendit County reported one death.
Health Authorities in Unity State have confirmed the deaths of these 30 children and expressed concern that only two counties did not report any fatalities from the measles outbreak this week.
This alarming surge in measles cases has been observed among returnees and refugees who fled the conflict in Sudan and are now living in dire humanitarian conditions within South Sudan. The situation has been particularly severe in the Riotriah transit camp, where the Ministry of Health declared a measles outbreak in June, identifying 26 cases in the initial phase.
Over the past two weeks, the state health office and aid agencies have reported a significant increase in measles cases, with the number rising from 26 in June to over 800 across seven counties in Unity State by the second week of July. Responding to this crisis, the state health ministry and aid organizations have initiated a vaccination campaign targeting over 9,000 children in the Riotriah transit camp and Nyaruop port.
Furthermore, several counties, including Koch, Guit, Rubkona, Leer, Mayendit, Panyinjar, and Mayom, have all reported cases of the disease due to the influx of returnees from Sudan.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, Dr. Duol Biem, the Director General of the state Ministry of Health, emphasized the government’s commitment to controlling the spread of the disease through mass vaccination campaigns.
He clarified that the reported numbers of measles cases are confirmed through laboratory tests and that the aim is to protect children between the ages of five months and 15 years.
Regarding the ongoing vaccination efforts, Dr. Biem stated, “Last month, we conducted a vaccination campaign exclusively for returnees between the ages of five months and 15 years. We believe this intervention will help us control the outbreak and mitigate its impact.”
Dr. Biem expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of children due to measles and highlighted the urgency to bring the outbreak under control. He remained optimistic that with the ongoing vaccination efforts, the number of cases would decrease soon.
In Mayendit County, John Gatwech, the County Health Director, confirmed 20 cases of measles and two deaths. The affected individuals are currently receiving treatment at Rubkuach facilities. Gatwech emphasized the pressing need for measles vaccination in Mayendit County, especially for children who have fled the conflict in Sudan.
Gatwech also mentioned that, in addition to the measles vaccine, they are providing polio oral vaccines to adults returning from Sudan due to the crisis. He assured that children who fled the conflict in Sudan would also be vaccinated against other diseases in the upcoming second round of vaccinations.
Gatwech stated, “The aim of this campaign is to halt the transmission of measles and safeguard the vulnerable population.”