Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is getting ready to respond to any potential outbreak of cholera which may occur this rainy season in South Sudan.

Over two hundred people have died in cholera outbreaks which took place during the last two rainy seasons in South Sudan. This year, there have been rains in Juba, Malakal and elsewhere in recent weeks.

"As in previous years, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is preparing for the possibility of cholera as the rainy season approaches and is ready to intervene in case the Ministry of Health declares a cholera outbreak in the country," the group's spokesperson Tim Shenk told Radio Tamazuj.

"MSF has a stockpile of cholera treatment kits including, testing kits, chlorine solution, and oral rehydration salts in storage in Juba and at the project sites," he added.

Shenk added that MSF has in place an early warning system where community outreach teams will go to communities to monitor potential outbreaks.

He said cholera is an intestinal infection caused by a bacteria which is found in unsanitary environments which causes diarrhoea and vomiting which can quickly lead to death by severe dehydration.

However, Shenk explained that cholera can be simply and effectively cured as long as the patient receives treatment early enough. Treatment includes rehydrating the patient orally or in extreme cases through an intravenous drip.

South Sudanese citizens can prevent contracting cholera by drinking clean water that has been boiled or purified, eating only well-cooked food, washing hands with clean water, soap, and ash, and properly disposing faeces away from homes and cooking areas.

File photo (MSF)