Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State Ministry of Health is carrying out a seven-day cholera vaccination in Aweil West County and Aweil Town where health authorities have recorded high infections for the past few months.
The health authorities said one-year-old children, adult South Sudanese, and foreign nationals were eligible for the immunization.
Six people have lost their lives since the Government of South Sudan announced the cholera outbreak in November 2024. The first case was registered among the Sudanese refugees who were transiting from Renk County in Upper Nile State to Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State’s Aweil West County.
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State, Health Minister Riiny commended the National Ministry of Health and the NGOs for their commitment in providing the medicines to the people.
“Although we have many cases of cholera, we have obtained the drugs through the partnership from National Ministry of Health plus some NGOs and we are covering the most affected locations of Aweil West County and Aweil Municipality,” confirmed the minister.
“We have received 316,750 cholera vaccine doses which is equivalent to the population in the Aweil Municipal Council and Aweil West County. Six people have succumbed to cholera since the beginning of the crises,” he added.
The Minister said the plague was first detected among the Sudanese refugees who were relocated from South Sudan’s Renk County of Upper Nile State to Wedweil Refugees Settlement in Aweil West County, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal.
A resident of Aweil West County, Bol Bak, said he had received the vaccine as well as many other locals in the county.
Yes, I have received mine yesterday (Wednesday)… many people were also vaccinated because the vaccination teams deployed in Nyamlel Town,’’ said Bak.
Achol Garang from Aweil Municipal Council’s Yinh Aluk, claimed that the vaccination teams did not make it to their residence.
“They did not come to our residential area; we are looking for the vaccines seriously. I need you to talk to them so that they come to us instantly.”