Doctors Without Borders/Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said their hospital at the ‘Protection of Civilians’ site in the UN base Bentiu, Unity state saw a “significant increase” in malaria cases last month.
Dr. Ruby Siddiqui, an epidemiologist with the medical charity in Bentiu, said over 2000 malaria patients were admitted to their hospital, including 150 severely complicated cases.
Siddiqui said their hospital is nearing full capacity, forcing them to support three emergency clinics inside the camp for children under five stricken with malaria.
“Severe malnutrition is equally concerning,” she continued, with more than 100 young children suffering severe malnutrition with complications treated.
“Unfortunately many children arrived too late at the hospital with advanced symptoms resulting in a very high mortality (23% mortality reported in July).”
Siddiqui said the health situation in the camp is “precarious,” with the camp population now estimated at 110,000 people, stretching medical resources.
“That’s more than double the number of people here a few months ago and it feels more like a city than a camp,” she said.
The doctor said people continue to arrive every day fleeing the upsurge in fighting in Unity since April.
Photo courtesy MSF